


Rivalry

by YadonushiRyou



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe - Pirate, Angstshipping - Freeform, M/M, Tendershipping, but like.. implied
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-22
Updated: 2019-12-10
Packaged: 2020-12-28 04:07:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 46,704
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21130487
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YadonushiRyou/pseuds/YadonushiRyou
Summary: Malik and Ryou are best friends getting very tired of their dreary town. Hope sparks for them when a pirate ship docks, and they decide to climb aboard. Together they enter a new world of pirates, adventure, and treasure, but for a price. Their friendship is tested, and their loyalty must lie either with each other or their captain.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a fic i've made and published on ff.net but I'm so very excited to add this to my AO3 and i hope it allows for more people to read it :-) You're in for a real treat and I've gone back and edited the chapters for the ultimate reading experience. I hope you enjoy this adventure!
> 
> Also thank u to Len (ninjam117 on tumblr) for the beautiful art that appears a few times in this fic!! <3

The sun was high in the sky, not quite noon, but getting close. The white, puffy clouds floated by in the light blue sky- It was perfect weather for sailing, and not a single boat was spotted at the pier. They had all gone out in the morning, taking advantage of the perfect weather. Near the water, on the wooden dock, two young men, Ryou and Malik, strolled along. They were there every morning, and all the fishermen and townspeople that lived near the pier knew and recognized them. It was their daily routine, excepting when the weather was bad, but it was inevitable they would be walking a perfect morning as it was.

Ryou and Malik were the type of friends everyone in the town wish they had. Their small town, known only for its reputation of being poor, was most certainly a struggling one. Many families just barely scraped by, and Ryou and Malik were no different. They had met as children, playing in the street and getting dirty, and since then never stopped. It seemed they were instantly inseparable, and spent more time together than they ever did alone. The two were a perfect tag team, always looking after one another. They helped each other as children, and continued to help each other as young men.

“I heard a ship was coming into town today,” Ryou said, looking out at the water from the pier. “I wonder if it’ll be a fishing boat.” He heard Malik snort, glancing over at his friend to watch him shake his head.

“Nah. There hasn’t been any food imports in weeks. I don’t think there will be any for a while.”

They sighed in unison. Their little island town was a long way from the trading routes. It and its people were forgotten about. 

“It doesn’t hurt to be hopeful, though,” Ryou mumbled, coming to a stop as he saw the mentioned ship appear from the fog in the distance, almost as if on cue. “Huh,” Ryou hummed. “It looks a lot bigger than I thought it would be.” 

The two exchanged similar expressions. Big, goofy grins with wide, hopeful eyes. Malik spoke first.  
“You thinking what I’m thinking?”

And Ryou most certainly was. It was another routine of theirs to watch the ships come in to dock and anchor, and the two were already racing to their vantage point. Malik always won, for speed and agility was never Ryou’s strong suit. 

Malik laughed as Ryou met with him atop an old pub, watching as his friend huffed and puffed up the ladder, taking a rest at his feet.

“You beat me,” Ryou mumbled. “Again.”

“Oh, don’t be like that. We’ll sit at the edge so you can rest, okay?” Malik grabbed Ryou’s hand and helped him up, walking them over to the edge of the roof to take a seat so that their legs were swinging over the edge. “There we go. Nice and comfortable, yeah?”

Ryou snorted, but he still held a smile, which meant that everything was okay.

It took the ship a long time to get to the pier. At least, according to an excited couple of eager lads. Ryou and Malik took the wait time as an opportunity to guess what the cargo of the ship was, or if it even had cargo at all.

“I wonder if it’s royalty,” Ryou said, noticing that the ship was just getting larger the closer it got. “I’ve never seen a ship that big before.”

“Royalty?” Malik scoffed. “They’d better have real good protection if it is. The whole town would surely riot if any more rich bastards set foot on this land. It’s a death sentence for them at this point.”

The town, having been forgotten about by their ruling king and queen, were quite resentful of their leaders. A couple of representatives had attempted to sail into the pier and, rather than greeted by their subjects, the townspeople, including Ryou and Malik, glared and silently followed the representatives to their place of business. The rich and wealthy were not welcomed until change would be seen in the town. At least, that was the way Malik saw it.

It was quiet between them after that. Neither wanted to think about the situation or reality of that concept, but it was inevitable for it to come up in conversation.  
Ryou spoke up after a few minutes, softly and hesitantly. “Do you think we’ll be able to leave here someday?” He nervously chuckled, trying to make light of the heavy burden. “Maybe we could steal a boat or something and get out of here. Start new somewhere far away.” Ryou looked over at Malik, but his friend was looking out at the ocean. Then Malik’s eyes squinted. 

He never answered Ryou’s question.

“What is that?” Malik asked, pointing out at the ship that was clear as day now, having gotten past the thick, grey fog. “That.. That flag. Is that-”

Ryou’s eyes widened at the sight. He’d done readings and research on them throughout his youth, and even now, but he never would have thought that-

“Pirates!” He exclaimed, standing up and continuing to point out at the flag. “Pirates! I-It’s a pirate ship, Malik!”

Malik, too, got up from his seated position, mostly to calm Ryou down so he wouldn’t fall off the roof. “What does that mean?” He asked, knowing Ryou might have some idea, but also doubted his question would be answered. Ryou seemed rather preoccupied with excitement.

“They must be here to-to get supplies or directions or something,” Ryou explained, his tone quick and a little shaky. “That’s so cool! Thieves of the sea right here in our own town!” 

While most people would fear for their safety at the sight of a pirate ship, Ryou felt much different. Ever since he heard the word ‘pirate’ he was hooked. He had to know everything about them: The hierarchy, the ships, the Pirate Code, everything! To Ryou, pirates were heroes. As a boy that grew up scavenging and stealing, he sort of looked up to the lifestyle in a way. Of course, he knew it wasn’t necessarily the life that his father would have wanted him to have, but Ryou saw pirates as successful. Outcasts that would strike fear in their enemy’s eyes, adventurers on the course for finding treasure, and, especially, master thieves that knew how to get money. 

That was both Ryou and Malik’s favorite part.

Malik didn’t get into pirates as much as Ryou, but he understood the lifestyle. He respected the guts it took to challenge royals and sink their naval ships.

“Come on, Ryou, let’s get closer,” Malik said, gently grabbing Ryou’s wrist and pulling him along. 

Once again, the two ran back to a different vantage point: An old market stand with a perfect view of the ship.

They watched the ropes fly in the air and land on the dock. They watched men hop off the ship and men from town move in to secure the anchor and whatnot.

And they watched the crew, one by one, walk down the plank and onto the dock of their poor town’s pier.

It was the most majestic thing they had ever seen. The captain, tall and powerful, led the crew off the ship. Malik admired his extravagant hat, the beautiful golden cane, and even spotted kohl lining the man’s eyes. Malik couldn’t afford kohl, and he suddenly envied everything the captain was from his long, burgundy coat to the shiny gold earrings in the man’s ears. Malik sighed out loud.

Ryou, meanwhile, was listing off each crew member and guessing their position. He recognized the captain quickly, then the quartermaster, all the way down to the swab. His heart was beating with excitement, and Malik and Ryou watched them walk down into a pub on the other side of the docks. 

Ryou took it upon himself to walk out from behind their hiding place, looking at the ship just feet away from them. His mouth hung open.

“Woah. It’s… That’s a big ship,” he murmured, looking over his shoulder when he heard Malik’s footsteps from behind. He had a smirk on his face, and Ryou knew he had an ulterior motive.

“What? Why are you making that face?” Ryou found himself mirroring Malik’s expression, not even realizing he was doing it.

“No reason. Just thinking,” Malik hummed, his arm snaking around Ryou’s waist as he walked forward, pulling Ryou along with him. “We’re going to sneak on that ship.”

“What!” Ryou gasped, but to his surprise he was going along with it. There was no struggle, and he let Malik lead him to the wooden ramp alongside the ship.

The ship was dark, black wood. It creaked as it floated atop the water and the sails flapped proudly in the wind. Ryou felt even more excited, especially when his foot touched the wooden ramp.

“Is this a good idea?” He asked, looking over his shoulder in the direction the crew had gone.

“No,” Malik replied, grabbing Ryou’s wrist and pulling him up the ramp. “But how often do we get the chance to go on a pirate ship?”

They walked right on, and it seemed so easy. Ryou was afraid that there would still be crew members aboard, but it seemed that everyone had left with the captain. Malik continued to lead Ryou over toward the quarter deck, where two doors stood before them. “So, Ryou. You’re the one who knows everything about these guys. Where’s the most likely place we can find some treasure?”

Ryou looked over at Malik, alarmed for a moment, but a grin quickly crossed his face. This was more excitement than he had experienced in his entire life! And it was all happening so fast.

Well, it better. Ryou wasn’t sure when the captain would return, and from first glance he wasn’t so sure he would ever want to be face to face with him. 

“Left,” Ryou pointed to the door, then took the liberty of opening it, revealing a small set of stairs. “Below deck is our best bet for treasure. I read that pirates like to hide it as best as possible, so if the ship ever sinks it can’t be found by others.” Ryou winked at Malik before he turned around to creep below deck.

It was stuffy. There was a hallway in front of them and a huge empty space lined with wooden crates to their right. Ryou veered over to the right and motioned for Malik to follow. “Let’s see what’s in these crates and barrels,” He whispered, even though he didn’t really have to.

… 

Ryou and Malik managed to explore almost half of the lower part of the ship, but Ryou realized it was much too big for them to explore entirely, and the treasure was nowhere to be found. Not that they even knew what they were looking for, anyway. “I think we should head back,” Ryou said, looking over at Malik and gesturing for him to follow again. “Pirates don’t stay in one spot for very long, and I don’t expect them to be here longer than they already have been.”

Ryou lead the way back to the door they entered and, as he walked up the steps, saw a flash of shadow from the other side before he panicked and threw himself to the floor. 

They were too late! The pirates were returning! Ryou heard voices and footsteps, shouting and laughing, and before he had time to explain to Malik what was going on, he was pulled back to his feet and under the stairs.

“Shit!” Malik hissed, holding Ryou’s body close to his own with one arm around his waist. It was protective, and Ryou felt his face heat up with embarrassment. 

There was certainly no time to be embarrassed, though.

“What do we do?” Ryou asked, listening carefully to the conversations above them, making sure that no one saw them or were alarmed by the door being open.

Malik shook his head, his silent way of showing that he was thinking.

Ryou thought, too. 

He thought about how it didn’t feel too exciting to have to go back to town. He thought about how they didn’t know what they were going to eat that night.

He thought about the question he asked Malik earlier: “Do you think we’ll be able to leave here someday?”

Ryou answered his own question just then. 

“Malik, I have an idea.” Ryou wriggled out of Malik’s tight hold, catching the other’s attention. “What if we stayed?”

“What?” Malik looked confused and angry. “What are you talking about?”

“I-I mean, what if we just… stayed on the ship? Think about it. There’s nothing in that shitty town for us. If we stay and, I don’t know, get them to accept us as a part of the crew, then we’ll never go hungry. We’ll never have to worry about where we’ll sleep. We’ll be together, too. Do you get what I’m saying?”

Malik stared at Ryou for a long moment. His jaw was tight and set into place, and his eyes narrowed ever so slightly. “And what if they don’t ‘accept’ us, Ryou. Then what?”

Ryou offered a reassuring smile. “Then they don’t accept us.” 

Just then, the ship seemed to have jerked back then forward, indicating that it was no longer anchored but on the move.

“What’s the worst that could happen? We get thrown off, we go back home, we die. We stay, we die. The worst that happens is we die, and dying is in both scenarios, so we might as well have a little fun doing it, right?”

Again, Malik stared at Ryou before letting out a long, heavy sigh. “I hate you,” He mumbled. “I hate that you’re always thinking. So fine. But I’m doing the talking. You just stand and look good, alright?”

Ryou chuckled quietly, crawling out from under the stairs, then followed Malik.

What was previously exhilarating was turning into something terrifying. His heart pounded in his chest, harder and faster.

When the two emerged from the stairs, every crew member stopped in their tracks, their eyes falling on the two stowaways. Malik stood in front of, and very close to, Ryou, attempting to keep him out of sight. 

The silence was broken by the sound of rubber thumping against wood. It echoed, and the wood creaked. A clearer, more accented sound was made before each pair of steps, and Malik soon saw that it was a cane making the noise. The same fancy cane with what looked to be a gold ball on top. A sceptre looking thing.

As Malik moved his eyes from the cane, he saw a familiar color, and then a familiar hat. Ryou and Malik gulped.

“Oh my,” Drawled the man before them, licking his lips as he shifted his weight to the opposite leg. “What have we here? A couple of rats looking for some scraps, perhaps?”

There was a beat of silence, and the man looked at the two expectantly. It seemed he wanted an answer. Ryou lightly nudged Malik. The man’s eyes followed the movement, almost as if he knew it was going to happen.

“We, uh-” Malik cleared his throat. “You see, me and my friend here just happened to be passing by and-”

“And who might you be?” The man, who Ryou recognized as the captain, asked. “Tell me your names.”

“I’m Ryou, and this is Malik,” Ryou said clearly, earning him an elbow to the arm by Malik. This seemed to amuse the captain. It felt as though every movement, every word and action was giving him information.

“Yeah,” Malik redeemed, “That’s us. We were admiring your ship and we came on to find out if we could join you.”

The entire crew roared out with laughter. Even the captain laughed, then struck his cane against the wood, causing everyone to go silent. “I see. And, please boys, tell me why I should let two scrawny little rats waste my rations and resources? It would be easier to kill you and dispose of you right now.”

The captain raised his cane, the ball end of it slowly headed toward Ryou, but Malik slapped it away. The captain smirked and tilted his head, his eyes lidding. “Harsh.”

“Don’t touch him,” Malik said, irritation in his voice. “Look, frankly we can’t really offer you anything but a helping couple of hands. I’m pretty strong, and this one behind me is pretty tiny, so we can get any job you need done. We’ll steal for you, fight for you, cook for you. Hell, we’ll even clean for you.” Malik crossed his arms, staring the captain right in the eyes. He knew he needed to get this to work. Not just for his own safety, but for Ryou’s. Service to a pirate captain wouldn’t be too awful, right? “So? What do you say to that, _captain_?”

The captain licked his lips again and leaned back, having veered forward during Malik’s small speech. 

“I say welcome aboard to my ship. I’m sure you’ll make a great fit here.”

Before Malik could say another word, the captain turned around, pausing before he walked off. “_My_ name is Mariku, by the way, but I prefer to simply be addressed as ‘captain.’ Now, you’d better get started on dinner. My crew is hungry after such a long journey.”

Mariku walked away then, leaving Malik and Ryou to their new way of living.

As pirates.

…  
Cooking was a lot harder than Malik and Ryou thought it would be. Ryou had found out that there were over two, nearly three hundred men aboard on Mariku’s ship. Malik and Ryou had to cook for all of them.

Apparently the other crew members that were cooks thought it would be hilarious to leave all the work to the two new members who were now being called ‘cabin boys.’ It bothered Ryou the most, because that was the lowest possible position one could have, but he refrained from sharing this information with Malik. He wouldn’t be too happy to hear that they were, still, the lowest of the low. 

It took them nearly the rest of the day to make dinner, and Ryou and Malik weren’t even allowed to eat anything on the job. The smell of it was divine, for there were ingredients on the ship that neither of them could ever have imagined to cook with, or even hold in their hands. 

The night’s menu consisted of a beef stew made with fresh meat the pirates had supposedly obtained earlier that day. The vegetables were crisp and fresh as well, and Ryou wondered how they kept it fresh like that. They must not have ventured far, and made plenty of supply stops.

That only meant one thing.

They were stocking up for a voyage. An adventure. Ryou held the idea in the back of his head for he didn’t want to get his hopes too high. How lucky would they be to have come aboard just as the crew was headed on an exciting excursion?

Once the food was done, Malik and Ryou were told to set the dining hall. Despite their desire to complain, they did as they were told and took their tired, borderline-malnourished bodies to set the tables. 

The many tables. The many long tables.

“They’re doing this to us on purpose, you know,” Malik grumbled, setting the silverware down after Ryou set a tin bowl at each place. “This sucks.”

Ryou frowned. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea, but it was still only the first couple of hours. “Don’t be like that, Malik. It’s only the first day. Besides, I was waiting to tell you this, but I think they’re preparing for an endeavor. Didn’t you notice how their pantry was filled to the brim with supplies? They’re preparing for something.”

This seemed to have cheered Malik up in the slightest, and he shrugged. “I suppose so. I don’t know, I’m just ready to eat.”

Malik placed the last spoon at the last place on the last table. He and Ryou slapped their hands together in an accomplished high-five.

Before they had time to relax, the doors burst open, and in came the other cooks with the huge pots of beef stew. One of them yelled at Ryou to get out of the way, so him and Malik left the dining hall. On the way out, they were met with what was probably the entire crew huddled together waiting to enter. “Ah..” Ryou didn’t have a chance to say ‘excuse me’, for a strong hand was suddenly rested on his shoulder, causing him to go stiff and speechless.

“I see my two new cabin boys actually got the job done. I’m impressed.”  
Ryou could feel Mariku’s hot breath behind him. He glanced over at Malik who was clearly bristled and irritated by Mariku’s other hand taking place on his shoulder as well. “That means you get to eat.” 

Mariku pulled the two back into the dining hall, motioning for a cook to come over. “Unfortunately, though, cabin boys don’t eat here. It’s tradition on my ship to have the lowest member, or in this very special case, _members_, to keep watch for enemies. I trust you both will do a fine job.” 

The cook handed a bowl of stew to Malik, and then to Ryou. Malik wasn’t impressed. “Well that’s a stupid tradition. Wouldn’t you want someone you trust to keep watch? It doesn’t make sense to have the lowest members do it.”

Ryou shot Malik a look and nudged him. Was he crazy? Who did he think he was talking back to the captain like that?

Mariku chuckled in response, a smooth, deep rumbling. The sound made Ryou tense and Malik lean toward Ryou. 

“I suppose that’s a good point. However, I only think that would apply to someone who had real enemies.” Mariku inspected the rings on his fingers, his teeth biting his bottom lip. “I don’t have those. I don’t have threats. I just have people who get in my way. You’re starting to act like one of those, Malik. You’re not going to get in my way are you?” Mariku leaned forward before Malik had a chance to answer, which was surprising to Ryou because Malik always had a comeback. “I don’t need to explain myself to a cabin boy. A cabin boy does as he’s told--And what was it that I told you?”

Malik’s jaw visibly tensed, his teeth grinding together. He looked away and mumbled, “Keep watch outside.”

Mariku grinned, showing his yellowed teeth and nodding in approval. “Alright then! Get to it, _cabin boy_.”

Ryou was quick to lead the way outside, for he worried that Malik wouldn’t be able to control his temper. Mariku was clearly trying to rile Malik, but why? Malik didn’t do anything wrong.

“I hate that guy,” Malik ground out once they were on the main deck, a cool breeze welcoming them to the night. “I’ve only spoken to him twice and I already hate him. Who does he think he is? He can’t talk to me that way.”

Ryou smiled, placing a hand on Malik’s shoulder and guiding him over to sit on some crates near the edge of the ship. “Well, not to be technical, but he sort of can. He’s the captain, Malik. We have to do what he says.”

Malik scoffed as he sat down, but after a moment of silence, he let out a long, tired sounding sigh. “I know. I guess I’m just tired of being pushed around. Our whole lives, Ryou, we’ve been pushed around. Forced to accept it and maneuver around it. When you told me this plan, I had the slightest hope that maybe it would be a fresh start for us.”

Ryou stared at Malik’s bowl of stew, his brow furrowing as he shook his head. He set his own bowl to the side and shifted his body to give Malik his full attention. “It is. I would take this over our stupid lives back home any day, and not even just because I like pirates or anything. Malik, we didn’t have to think about whether or not we would be eating tonight. We don’t have to chase rats out of our living space. We don’t even have to worry about money here. I think I would take some belittling over starvation any day.” Ryou smiled then, leaning over to rest his head on Malik’s shoulder. He felt Malik stiffen, a sign that he wanted to make sure Ryou’s head didn’t slip. “Besides, we’re doing it together. We wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you, and I certainly wouldn’t be here at all without you. You being my friend makes everything a hundred times better.”

Malik smiled then, a small curve on his lips. “Yeah. You’re right. Now get up you sappy goof. We have a stew to eat.” He nudged Ryou with his elbow so he would sit up, and Ryou did. Ryou picked up his bowl and set it in his lap, swirling the spoon around a few times.

“Malik?” He said, waiting for Malik to acknowledge that he heard. “I know this is silly and kind of stupid to say, but.. We’re always going to be friends, right? I mean, you’re sort of all I’ve got. I don’t really know what I would do without you.” 

Malik was just about to shovel his spoon into his mouth, but he stopped still. He looked at Ryou and offered that same small, but reassuring smile. “Of course we will. I promise. Don’t forget that you’re all I’ve got, too. Now eat. We’ve had a long day and I don’t expect tomorrow to be any easier.” Before Malik started on his food, he ruffled Ryou’s hair, which earned him a glare and a shove. Then, as the two ate and looked out at the night sky, they found themselves chatting idly about the stars, sharing stories they probably have shared a million times before.

… 

A few weeks went by, and Ryou and Malik were slowly but surely getting used to the pirate life. They often had different jobs: Malik mopped the deck while Ryou cleaned and tidied the canons. Ryou had gotten pretty dirty, and he joked with Malik one night about how he finally looked the part of a pirate. That was a tradition they had now. Since they were the lookouts, they met at the same spot at night and talked about the chores they did that day. It was odd not seeing each other every minute of every day, but at the same time it seemed to only fuel their friendship even more. They were excited to tell the other about the day they had, and they never had a night where they didn’t chat until they fell asleep.

Well, the weeks came and went, and one day, while both Malik and Ryou were mopping different parts of the ship, they heard a cry.

“_Land ho! Land ho!_”

Everyone on the ship looked up at the man in the crow’s nest, then out to where he was pointing. Malik raced over to where Ryou was mopping and pulled him to the edge of the ship. “Ryou, look! A beach! I see a beach!”

Ryou squinted and saw the beige on the horizon, with a mound of green in the background. “Is it an island? Are we getting more supplies or-”

Malik and Ryou looked at each other and grinned. “Treasure!”

Ryou heard a familiar thud coming from behind them, and he saw men scattering away and back to their positions out of his peripheral vision. That only meant one thing.

“Ah, look! It’s my favorite couple of cabin boys,” Mariku said, his cane tapping on the deck right before each step he took. Ryou and Malik turned around, and when they did Mariku was already pretty much on top of them. “Are you excited? I’m excited.” Mariku took in a deep, shaky breath. “I can feel it in my bones. We’re so very close. Do you know where we’re going, cabin boys?”

Malik bit his tongue and answered for the both of them. “No. Care to fill us in? Even though it seems a little late by now.”

Mariku chuckled and moved forward, putting each one of his heavy arms around the boys’ shoulders, turning them around so they were facing the view of the island again. Ryou could advocate for Mariku’s claim of being excited. He could practically feel the man’s blood rushing and his fingers twitching.

“We’re looking for something that belongs to me. Something I’ve been searching for for years. Your little town on the shore gave me just the lead I needed. That’s why I let you come, you know. You’re my good luck charms.” Mariku pulled the two in closer, and Malik was already wrinkling his nose and growing tense. “And I wasn’t wrong,” the captain continued, “Not once did we have bad weather, and now look! We’re here so soon! Looks like I made the right call with you two, which is why I’m telling you this now.”

Mariku dropped his arms and reached a hand into a pocket on the inside of his coat, pulling out a piece of paper. His hand shook with anticipation. “This.. This paper is very important.” He handed it to Malik. “It contains directions to a box. It’s a very special box. Since you’re both so lucky, I’m sending you on an excursion of sorts. You see, the directions are written in riddles, and I have no one on my crew who can figure them out. I have…” Mariku practically giggled, his tongue darting out of his mouth to lick his lips. “I just have a good feeling that you’ll be able to get it. You’re going to find my box and bring it back to me.”

Before either Ryou or Malik could reply Mariku turned around and began shouting and barking orders to his crew, walking away to make sure that every man was stationed and prepared to anchor. Ryou stared at the paper in Malik’s hand, his mouth wide open. 

“Malik, do you know what this means?”

Malik looked up at him and grinned. “Our captain told us to find an important treasure?”

Ryou nodded fervently and nearly began to jump up and down. “Not only are we finding a treasure, but it’s our chance to _prove_ ourselves, Malik! Maybe, if we do a good job, he’ll give us an upgrade or something! He can make us his official treasure hunters.” Ryou laughed, but he was hopeful. So was Malik. The constant chores were really becoming tiresome for them.

“Let me see those riddles,” Ryou said, standing close to Malik as he unfolded the paper and held it out for both of them to see. Ryou hummed as he read through the first few, then he laughed. “Heh, these are easy,” He said, earning him a surprised expression from Malik.

“Easy? They’re like, five sentences each! I read the first one and can’t make any sense of it.”

Ryou chuckled, leaning over to point at the words. “I only looked at the first two, but they’re in a code. The words are all scrambled and when you put them in the right spots, the actual riddle is formed. I’ve seen something like this before. It just might take some time to get the words in the right place.”

Malik laughed in disbelief, slowly shaking his head. “Boy am I glad I have a nerd for a best friend. Who would have thought that your obsession with games and shit would come in handy?”

Ryou laughed as well, shrugging. “I guess you just lucked out, huh.”

As the ship approached the shore of the Island, Ryou spent the time studying and rewriting the riddles on a separate sheet of paper. He figured it would be faster to do that part now, and then he could solve them when they needed the directions. It was fairly difficult, but by the time the ship had rocked forward and back, forward and back, Ryou had finished crossing the t’s and dotting the i's. 

Malik and Ryou followed the crew out to the water and swam with them to the shore. Mariku had his men guard the perimeter of the island and had ordered others out into the forestry. Then, once Mariku seemed to feel secure (for which Ryou wasn’t sure why he wouldn’t feel safe on what looked to be a deserted island), he directed Malik and Ryou on their mission.

The two approached the leaves that would lead into the uncharted area, and they looked at eachother.

“Ready?” Malik asked.

Ryou nodded firmly, a determined smirk making an appearance on his otherwise soft looking face. 

“Ready.”


	2. Chapter 2

…

“First we’re looking for a small body of water. Like a creek or a pond.” Ryou read over his writing as he and Malik journeyed through the forestry. It was something neither of them had ever really seen before. There was so much green, so much more nature than in their industrialized town by the water. The air was much more fresh.

Ryou, while he had been able to rearrange the words into comprehendable riddles, was still attempting to solve those riddles as they walked, which caused him to trail a little behind Malik. This often happened with them, even before their new life of adventure. Physical activity came easy for Malik, but not for Ryou. He tried his best, but running and, well, being physical never really worked out in Ryou’s favor.

Malik turned around and heaved a sigh when he saw Ryou’s nose in his paper. He turned around and walked back, grabbing Ryou’s wrist and pulling him along with a firm grip. “Keep up, will you? The last thing I need is you getting lost in this jungle.”

“I’m sorry! I can’t help it. I got lost in thought, I guess. I only need one more answer, and then we should have all of the directions in order.” Ryou decided to pocket his paper, so that it wouldn’t distract him while they searched. “We should be able to find this box in no time.”

Malik nodded in approval, seeing that Ryou had put his riddles away, and let go of his wrist. “Great. The faster we find it, the better it’ll make us look, eh?”

So, they continued. After they had found a creek, which they hoped was the creek, Ryou looked around and confirmed it was the right spot when he spotted a trail of yellow flowers. The yellow led to red, and the red led to a more complicated-looking plant that Ryou only recognized from books. As they trekked, Ryou had the slightest inkling that they weren’t completely alone. He often heard ruffling of leaves off to the side, but shrugged it off as an animal. That was probably what it was. Afterall, he’d never been in a jungle before. 

In fact, Ryou had never been that hot and sweaty before. It was incredibly humid, and when they reached the end of the creek to find a small waterfall, Ryou raced over to immerse himself in the cool, refreshing water. Malik laughed.

“You’re such a child,” He teased, even though he was headed to join Ryou in cooling down.

Ryou’s eyes had been closed, and when he stepped out of the line of water he opened his eyes. What he saw, though, was not the vast amount of green he had seen before, but a cold, hollow hole in the rocks. “Woah,” Ryou said to himself, reaching over to pull Malik with him. “Malik, this-This is the answer to the next one.”

Malik’s mouth was open, and it took him a moment before he could look at Ryou. “A cave? We have to go in.. a cave? It’s dark in there. How are we going to see?”

Ryou only offered a shrug. “Maybe we don’t need to see. Maybe it goes one way. The only way to find out is if we go in.”

The two took in a deep breath simultaneously, then slowly let it out. 

They entered the cave. 

There was visibility longer than they thought there would be, but the further they went, the darker it got. Ryou held on to Malik’s shirt so that they wouldn’t get seperated. 

“Maybe we should turn back,” Ryou mumbled, trying to focus his vision on seeing something, anything. “It’s way too dark.”

Ryou felt Malik shake his head. “Nonsense. We’re already so far into these riddles. It’ll be a waste to turn back now. Come on, Ryou. Use that brain of yours to help us find something useful.”

Ryou heaved a sigh, but he tried to do what Malik said. He remembered the final riddle. He couldn’t think of the answer, though. All he could think about was his inability to see. Ryou felt along the side of the cave wall, using the rocky surface to guide them to wherever it was they needed to be. 

Once again, Ryou had that strange feeling that they weren’t alone. He felt eyes on them, but he figured it was only because of the dark. Anything could be in the dark.

In the distance, Ryou saw what looked to be a ray of sunlight. They decided to follow it, and when they got closer, Ryou noticed a miniscule detail that would prove to be the sign they needed. 

“Well this is stupid,” Malik said, looking up at the hole in the rocks. “There’s nothing here. Just a stupid hole in the ceiling.”

Ryou crouched down and ran his hands along the ground. He grinned. “Malik, wait! The ground beneath us is different. We were walking on rock and dirt before, but this is sand. I think that was the answer to the last riddle!” He looked up at the ray of light, following it to the spot on the sand. “And I think that little spot is telling us where to dig. Come on, help me!”

Ryou started to move the sand away with his hands, and a moment later Malik joined him. After their fingertips grew sore and their arms got tired, Ryou scratched something hard. “I got something!” They pushed the sand out of the way and managed to pull out a very heavy chest. The two gasped in awe, and they didn’t even need to verbalize a plan. They both seemed to read each other’s mind in picking up the chest on each side and running back the way they came. The two were laughing, and Ryou was trying his hardest not to trip. The wooden chest felt heavy, and Ryou wondered what could possibly be inside of it. 

They made it out of the cave safely without anybody tripping over themselves. Ryou and Malik set the chest down outside and looked at it. 

“We should open it,” Malik said immediately. Ryou wasn’t so sure.

“I don’t know.. I don’t think the captain would want us to do that by ourselves. I think he would want to open it.”

Malik waved Ryou’s comment aside, getting on his knees to get a better look at the chest. “Well, how do we know if there’s anything in it if we don’t open it? I’d rather go back empty-handed then take something to him with nothing inside it. Come on, let’s make sure it’s not a decoy.”

Ryou found that he couldn’t really argue with that, so he followed Malik’s example and kneeled down, helping Malik open up the chest. It was surprisingly easy. Easy as in, all they did was lift the lid. Needless to say, they were both disappointed.

“It’s..” Malik frowned.

“It’s a bunch of rocks.” Ryou reached in and tossed them out. One by one they threw the rocks aside until they got to the very bottom of the chest. And there, sitting at the bottom of the chest, was a beautifully decorated box. This box, however, had a lock on it.

“I think maybe that’s the one we shouldn’t open. This has to be it.” Ryou picked it up and handed it to Malik to look over. “What do you think?”

Malik inspected the box, admiring it’s craftsmanship and the hand-painted designs. It was gold and blue, with a black snake carved on the top. He grinned. “I think that we should get back to Mariku as soon as possible and give this to him immediately. Ryou, we did it! We found it!” He stood and helped his friend up, dusting him off. “You did it! Mariku is going to be so impressed with you!” Before Ryou could even reply, Malik grabbed his wrist and pulled Ryou along on a light jog, holding the box as close to himself as possible. He didn’t want to drop it after all.

“Ah, Malik?” Ryou tried, not having been prepared for the pace that Malik set. “D-Do we have to run?”

“Yes!” Malik let go and slowed his jog a bit. “I know you can do it, Ryou. We have to get there as soon as possible!”

That was true. Ryou did want to get back right away. He used this as determination to not be clumsy, and he was careful to watch where he was going as he ran. Malik looked behind himself to make sure that Ryou was still behind him. To both of their surprise, Ryou managed at a pretty good pace.

Until his shirt got caught on a bush, that is.

“Agh!” Ryou was yanked backward and he heard his shirt rip. His sleeve was caught and he couldn’t yank it away so easily. When he turned his head to look back at where he’d seen Malik, he was much farther than before. “Malik!” Ryou called out. “Malik, wait up!” Finally, Ryou cut himself free and headed back toward Malik, but a second force yanked him back.

This second force held a firm grip at his elbow. This second force wrapped itself around Ryou’s arm. This second force had body heat.

Ryou, while he should have been very afraid, found himself rather irritated. He tugged at his arm, panicking slightly when he saw the crew and practically the entire ship race toward Malik who had arrived at the beach with the box. Did he even look back? 

“Hey! Let go of me!” Ryou shouted, turning his body to shove the other body away. “What’s your deal? Let me go!” The hand holding him back quickly let go in the midst of Ryou’s pulling, causing him to fall backward onto the ground. When Ryou looked up, his breath got caught in his throat.

Before him, standing tall now that he was on the ground, was a man. Another pirate. One he didn’t recognize. The man was wearing a tight black coat, almost the complete opposite of Mariku’s heavy burgundy one. It had many buttons and buckles on it, and the man seemed to carry many, many more knives than Ryou thought was necessary. The man’s hat, Ryou then noticed, was leather, and there was a white snake stitched on the side. Then, Ryou’s eyes were drawn to the man’s white hair, which led to his face. He was smiling at Ryou, and frankly that was the most terrifying thing about him. His smile looked forced, and his skin wrinkled at the left side of his face due to the fact that an eyepatch was fastened over his eye, the scar on his cheek peeking out from under it. The eyepatch, much like the hat, looked to have a snake stamped onto it.  


“My apologies, sir. I didn’t mean to upset you.” The man reached his hand out to Ryou, and Ryou noticed the blue and black rings adorning his fingers along with the black that coated his fingernails. “Please, allow me to help you.”

Ryou swallowed, hesitantly reaching his hand out, to which the man closed the space between them and pulled Ryou up before he was ready. Ryou got dizzy.

“Oh dear… You don’t look so good. Perhaps you need to rest.”

Ryou held his head and waited for his eyes to focus again, his brow furrowing when he saw that the man was still there. “I… Who are you? What-” Ryou glanced over his shoulder to look at the beach. The crew was still crowded and they were cheering. He couldn’t see Malik anymore. “Why did you do that? Look, I-I have to get back to m-”

“Your crew? Of course you do.” The man dusted off Ryou’s shoulder, though the action was more patronizing than polite. “That is, if you really want to. It seems as though they’re doing fine without you. Look at them. Looks like they’re cheering and having fun. Doesn’t really look like they’re missing you at all.”

Ryou scowled. “Who do you think y-”

“Haven’t I told you yet? My deepest apologies, Ryou. My name is Bakura.” He took off his hat and bowed, placing it back on his head when he stood up again. “I’m honoured to be meeting with you face to face.”

Ryou’s hand balled into a fist. He didn’t know any ‘Bakura’, and who was he to keep interrupting! And most of all-

“How do you know my name?” Ryou regret the question as soon as it left his mouth. He really didn’t want to know how this stranger knew who he was.

“Oh, Ryou,” Bakura practically purred, stepping closer to him. “I know lots about you. I tend to learn a lot about the people who trespass on my property. And especially those who steal my treasure. Though, I have to say, I am quite impressed by you.” Bakura’s head tilted, and his eyes roamed over Ryou’s entire body. “Your friend may have taken one treasure, but I think I’ve gained an even greater one in return. Tell me, Ryou, how is your captain? Is he as.. Controlling and greedy as I remember him?”

Ryou wasn’t exactly sure how to answer that. He shrunk in on himself and felt himself being broken down by Bakura’s gaze alone. “I.. I don’t really know. I don’t speak to him much.”

When Ryou looked down at the ground, he noticed Bakura’s black laced boots. Ryou wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but he couldn’t deny that Bakura’s ensemble was one he had only dreamed of. Bakura must have been a successful pirate, too. 

“Of course you don’t. Mariku doesn’t care about anyone but himself. He probably doesn’t even know you’re missing. Tell me Ryou, does he treat your friend the same, or does he… Ruffle him up a bit?” When Ryou looked surprised, Bakura smirked. “He does. He favors him, doesn’t he? He would have sent Malik on his own. You probably just happened to be right next to him. He has no idea what you’re worth, Ryou.” Bakura snaked his arm around Ryou’s shoulder, turning him away from the view of the beach. “I do, though. _I_ know what you can do. I just saw you. You solved riddles I’ve been trying to solve for months-- years maybe. It’d be a shame to let that talent go to waste.” Bakura pointed out at the forestry, pulling Ryou closer almost as a threat. A gesture to show he held control. “On the other side of this island, Ryou, is my ship. I’ve never done this to anyone before, but because you’re that important, I will for you. I want you to join me. My crew. We’ll treat you how someone with your talent and mind should be treated. You’ll be my right hand man. Right off the bat. You’ll immediately have the respect of every man on my ship.”

Bakura looked over at Ryou, noting the contemplation in Ryou’s facial expression. He dropped his arm and grinned. “You’re a smart guy, Ryou. I know you’ll make the right decision.”

Really, though, Ryou was more persuaded than he thought he would be. Doing chores and not getting much respect was really starting to get to him. Not to mention Bakura seemed to nail Ryou’s insecurity of Malik being more favorable to Mariku right on the head. Of course he was insecure, though. Malik was strong, physically capable, and as independent as they get. Not to mention Malik was proving himself a leader since they boarded the ship. He was, though. Malik was always helping Ryou and guiding him in the right directions. Of course Mariku would favor Malik. 

But… Malik was Ryou’s friend. Ryou couldn’t just leave him! He’d never be able to forgive himself. 

“I’ll be honest, erm, Bakura was it? I just don’t really feel comfortable leaving right now. This is sort of my home now, and I kind of just met you so…” Ryou awkwardly took a step back, attempting to take his leave. “I think I’m just going to go back to my crew.”

Bakura didn’t flinch at all, but Ryou noticed his fingers tense into a fist momentarily. “Are you sure? I promise you that when you get back, they’re going to keep pushing you around. They’ll never see you as anything more than a weak cabin boy. They didn’t see what I saw.”

Ryou shook his head, taking another step back, only to see Bakura take one toward him. “No really, I think it’s better I stay. I made a promise to a friend and-”

“A friend? The same friend that ran off with the treasure you found?” Bakura barked out a laugh. “Ha! Some friend that is. I assure you that he’ll get tired of you. He’ll move up the ladder while you’re still stuck at the bottom. Is that what you want?”

“No, it’s not. I just-”

“Just what, Ryou? You just ‘made a promise’? This is real life, kid. People break promises all the time.” Bakura had managed to close the gap between them, and he grabbed Ryou’s arm, pulling him in the direction of his own ship, away from the beach. “It’s for your own good you come with me.”

“Hey! Let go of me!” Ryou struggled, pulling back as his heels dug into the ground in a desperate attempt to get his arm free from Bakura’s iron grip. “Let go! I don’t want to go with you!”

Bakura seemed to just laugh and he stopped to look at Ryou, grinning at him in pure amusement. “You think you had a choice? Ryou, you were mine as soon as I laid eyes on you!” He turned back again, intending on continuing the walk. “I’ve been searching f-_Fucking hell!!_”

As soon as Bakura’s back had turned, Ryou had bit his hand as hard as he could. Ryou may not have been able to fight with fists but, from what he learned on the street at a very young age, his teeth often came in handy. He bit as hard as he could and broke Bakura’s skin where his canines pressed in, and then Ryou ran off. Bakura cursed under his breath and watched Ryou run off toward the beach. His eyes had darkened into a glare, but his lips were curled into a smirk. He licked the blood off his hand and chuckled.

The seed was already planted. Ryou would be back soon.   
Very soon.

…

Ryou didn’t feel safe until he had squeezed his way into the crowd of men he was familiar with. He wasn’t really sure what to think about what had happened, or about this ‘Bakura’ character. What he did know was that he had to find and tell Malik. Ryou was not only feeling unsafe, but he was feeling more insecure than ever. The ideas Bakura insinuated were already there in Ryou’s head. Bakura just happened to remind him of them. Now Ryou was worried that Malik was going to stray away from him. He worried that they wouldn’t be together for as long as they thought he would. This fear only grew the more he searched, for Malik was nowhere to be found.

Though, Malik wasn’t even on the beach anymore.

Upon his arrival, the crew had rushed toward him when they saw the box in his hands, and moments later Mariku was congratulating him and announcing a feast in Malik’s name. Malik could have sworn that Ryou was right behind him, but he didn’t even have time to make mention of it among the commotion. Mariku patted him on the back and put his arm around his shoulders. Malik didn’t even have time to pout and grumble, because he was looking over his shoulder to try and spot Ryou. 

As Mariku guided him back toward the ship, Malik figured he would just have to find him later. Ryou would most likely be at their spot tonight. 

Much to Malik’s discomfort, Mariku brought him into his cabin and sat Malik down in a chair, taking his own seat across from him. They sat in silence for a moment, Malik glaring and Mariku grinning.

“Congratulations, Malik.” Mariku finally said, leaning back in his chair and kicking his feet up on his desk. “I’m quite impressed with your performance. In fact, I’ve been impressed with your performance since you came aboard my ship.”

Malik watched as Mariku reached into his shirt and pulled out a necklace that was tucked inside. It was a small key. As he spoke, Mariku examined it in his hands.

“You’re a natural leader, Malik. You’re strong, independent, and you’re defiant when you feel you need to be.” Mariku smirked over at Malik then, snorting. “However, you’re quite annoying, but I suppose I can look past that.”

Malik eyed the captain warily, trying to figure out the purpose behind this conversation. “So… You brought me here to compliment me? That seems a little unnecessary, don’t you think?”

The captain couldn’t help but laugh. He set his legs down on the floor again, his heels making a thud against the wood. “Of course not. I wouldn’t be speaking to you unless I had a purpose.” He leaned forward on his desk, his hands folded tightly. Malik could see his fingers twitching every so often. “I have a proposition for you. One that would benefit myself greatly, but also give you the opportunity of a lifetime,” Mariku hummed the end of the word, licking his lips right after. He cleared his throat as if preparing himself for the information he already knew. “I want to give you an upgrade. A… promotion, if you would like to call it that. You see, I see myself in you, Malik. Call me selfish, but I only want the best by my side. You have shown great promise to me. I can certainly use you to my advantage, and, of course, you would reap those benefits as well.”

It was quiet after that, the only sounds in the little room were the sound of the wood creaking and Mariku’s breathing. Was he serious? Malik wasn’t sure. He wasn’t really sure what to think about this captain at all. How was he so sure that he liked Malik if he had only been doing chores? 

However, Malik would be lying to himself if he said it didn’t sound appealing to him. His first thought was that this was his first step to climbing to the top. He briefly recalled being envious of Mariku the first time he laid eyes on him, and the thought of having riches for himself was almost overbearing. Malik studied Mariku and concluded the offer was genuine. Mariku was giving that twitchy, excited reaction that he had given before when talking about the box which sat innocently on his desk. 

“I…” Malik frowned. “That sounds great and all, really, and I would accept it, but-” Malik stopped himself a moment. Would bringing this up ruin his chance? Would he regret it? “But… You know I wasn’t the only one that found that thing, right? If this is what that’s about I think you should include Ryou on this, too. We’ve been doing everything together and he’s done-”

“He’s done the same work as you. Yes. I know that. I assigned the jobs.” Mariku’s excited expression fell almost immediately and he leaned back with a sigh. “I had a feeling you would say that. You’re very protective of him, aren’t you?” The captain snorted, standing up again to slowly walk over to a shelf against the wall. He examined the items on top of it, admiring his collection of expensive trinkets and trophies of past encounters. “But you don’t see what I see. You haven’t quite experienced what I experienced.” As if remembering something, Mariku turned around and tore the key necklace from his neck and felt over the decorated box. He noted the change in Malik’s posture went from relaxed to tense when he had gotten closer to him.

“You’re a leader Malik,” He continued, sticking the key into the lock. “Ryou is not. He does what he’s told. He fears the consequences. He looks to you for shelter and security.” Mariku tutted, his tongue clicking three times as he shook his head. “I hate people like that. There’s no reason for him to be leaning on you. And it upsets me that he does.” He turned the key and, slowly, opened up the box. Malik leaned to the side to try to see what was inside, but he didn’t need to. Mariku pulled it out himself. It was another necklace, but there was a big skull for decoration. Or at least, Malik thought it was decorative jewelry. 

“You’re being held back,” Mariku said, not very distracted by the gold in front of him, unlike Malik. “You’re being pulled in the wrong direction by someone that has had your security for too long. Ryou has grown used to you, and you’re not getting anything out of it.” 

Malik opened his mouth to argue, but… for some reason he didn’t. He looked over his shoulder as if he were expecting Ryou to be at the door, but it was closed. In fact, he remembered that he didn’t even know where Ryou was. Why was that? Was it because Malik went too fast? Because he didn’t stop to wait?

That wasn’t his problem. Ryou should have kept up. If he really wanted to be seen as higher, he would have tried harder to prove himself. Malik found that he was nodding now, his brain coming to the conclusion that yes, sometimes Malik did feel like Ryou was weighing him down, if only in the slightest. 

Mariku seemed pleased with this answer, for his lips curved into a smirk. “I thought as much. You see, Malik, I know where you’re coming from. I had a… ‘friend’ once. Why, it was on this very ship that I met him.” Then, to Malik’s surprise, Mariku opened up the golden skull and produced a small roll of paper. He took in a deep breath, his teeth grinding together in a quick attempt to control his newfound excitement. “I... As you can see, Malik,” Mariku looked up at the other, then walked toward him, around the chair Malik was sitting at, and kneeled down next to him. “I’m experienced. I know what I’m doing. By accepting this promotion, you will be giving yourself the power you’ve deserved all along, and you’ll be giving Ryou the space he needs to be a more useful member of my crew.”

As Mariku held out the little rolled up paper, the hair on Malik’s skin stood up from the heat he felt on his neck by Mariku’s breath. The captain was a brooding presence, and having him so close was threatening, yet honorable at the same time. Malik eyed the paper, biting his tongue hard as he thought it over. Mariku had said that it would help Ryou, too, didn’t he? So taking the job wasn’t completely selfish. Malik was sure Ryou had the willpower to catch up. Yes. Malik was certain of that.

Malik, before he could talk himself out of it, took the offered piece of paper.

“I accept.”

After concluding that he wasn’t going to find Malik very soon, Ryou figured he would wait for him at the usual spot before dinner. It felt like hours until then, but when dinner was announced, Ryou had never felt more relieved. He kept his eye out for Malik, looking through the crowd as they all headed to the same doorway, but there was still no sign of him. Just before he could get any more anxious, Malik came running toward him, a huge grin on his face.

“Ryou! There you are!” Malik slowed as he came closer to Ryou, putting his hands on his friend’s shoulders. “I have something important to tell you! You’ll never guess what happened!”

Ryou blinked in surprise, speechless for a moment as he skimmed over Malik’s features. “Ah! I-I have something to tell you, too, but go ahead.” He forced out a chuckle. “It doesn’t look like you can hold it in any longer.”

Malik dropped his arms and showed Ryou the unrolled piece of paper. It looked like a tiny map. “When I returned, the captain pulled me aside and told me dinner will be in my honor tonight! And that’s not even the best part!” Ryou was silent, nodding for Malik to continue. “He gave me a promotion! I’m going to be his apprentice, Ryou! I’m going to help him with this map! I’ll be navigating the ship!”

Ryou found this information very unexpected, but he genuinely grinned back. He was happy for Malik! Not only that, but too many things were going on in Ryou’s mind for him to question why it was only Malik getting a promotion and a dinner. “Malik, what?! That’s incredible!” Ryou expressed his joy for his friend, jumping up and down twice, then peering over his shoulder to check the dinner line. “We have to get you a celebratory meal before it’s all gone, eh?”

“But what about your news? What was it you had to tell me?”

Ryou’s mood switched again. “Oh! Um…” Ryou quickly brooded over whether or not he should share his encounter with the pirate Bakura. It didn’t seem right to bring it up now, for Malik was so happy. Ryou was happy, too. He could just tell him over dinner. “I forgot, actually. Oops. Come on, though. Let’s go eat. I’m starving!”

Ryou and Malik walked toward the dining area together, and they were met with Mariku at the entrance. He greeted Malik with open arms. “Ah, there’s the man of the hour. The one who brought my pride back to me.” He had given Malik an eerie grin, but frowned when he looked at Ryou. “However, we only have room for one extra. One will have to stay outside to keep watch.”

“What?” Ryou said, his heart sinking in his chest. He had helped too, didn’t he? “But I was-”

“Rules, cabin boy. Harsh, but necessary to follow.” 

Ryou and Malik looked at each other. Ryou saw that Malik was about to open his mouth, and he knew that he was going to say he would watch with him. Ryou wasn’t going to let him do that. Besides, maybe he would appear more independent to Mariku if he watched alone. “It’s fine, Malik. I can stay outside. I want you to enjoy your dinner.”

“But-”

“It’s fine. I promise.” Ryou offered his friend a reassuring smile, though it faltered. He couldn’t help the pit of anxiety that rose once he realized what he would be doing. Mariku seemed to already have this planned out, because he handed Ryou a plate of food. After Ryou had exchanged another glance and a smile with Malik, they both went on in opposite directions.

As Ryou walked back onto the deck, he looked around, carefully checking his surroundings. Eating alone outside was scary enough as is, but now he had to worry about a creepy pirate lurking in the shadows. Ryou was sure he hadn’t seen the last of that Bakura. He briefly remembered then that he didn’t tell Malik about the incident. Whether that was good or bad, Ryou didn’t know. In fact, as Ryou sat down in a corner to eat, he didn’t really know what to think at this point. Did Malik really get a promotion? Did he seriously not mention Ryou’s riddle solving? Needless to say, this whole situation was… eerie. It was almost exactly what Bakura said was going to happen. Malik was favored. It was clear now, and Ryou wondered if the next step was Malik getting corrupt and forgetting about him. He quickly shook that thought, though. Malik would never forget about him. They had made a promise. They would always be there for each other, and there was no way some silly pirate promotion was going to be enough to separate them.

And it didn’t.

Ryou had survived that night, and would learn to do so every so often. Malik ate with him sometimes, but others he would eat with the crew. Surprisingly, it didn’t bother Ryou that much. He didn’t like the crew, and the crew didn’t like him, so there would be no point in trying to fit in with them anyway. After that night they had set sail in the morning again, and they were on the navigating skills of Mariku and Malik. Ryou actually liked the way their names sounded together. In fact, he had gotten over the whole promotion ordeal pretty quickly. Malik was constantly doing something. He was on his feet and walking all day, taking orders and sharing Mariku’s. Ryou was still mopping and cleaning when necessary, but he didn’t mind at all. Chores were better for him. At night was when the two would meet up again, and they would happily chat about their day just as they had done before. Ryou noticed, though, that Malik was getting increasingly tired. It was about two weeks before Ryou spotted the plateau in energy on Malik’s part and silently dubbed him used to the job.

Ryou was proud of Malik, too. At first, Ryou admitted jealousy, but as Malik was beginning to grow, Ryou could see why Mariku had moved him up. He was a natural. He knew how to give and receive orders, and he knew how to challenge orders that didn’t make sense to him. For that, Ryou was proud to call Malk his friend.

It had been about three weeks since Ryou had met Bakura, and frankly Ryou nearly forgot about him. He never told Malik what happened, but since they had left the island, Ryou didn’t think he would need to. Bakura was long gone. And there was no way he was following, either. Ryou was lookout, and he had never seen any kind of ship come near Mariku’s. Thankfully.

Today, Ryou was awaiting Malik’s arrival at the main mast as usual. He was expecting him, for Malik said that he would definitely be there earlier that day. Ryou was excited, too. They hadn’t spoken in a while, for Malik’s duties were occupying him for a few days, and Ryou wanted to talk with him again. It relaxed the both of them, hearing that they were each doing okay under the new circumstances. 

“Ryou!” Malik called, jogging over to him.

“Evening, stranger,” Ryou teased, earning an eye roll from Malik. “How were your ‘duties’ today?”

“Fine, I guess. You know, we’ve got some real idiots on this ship. I don’t think I ask for much when it comes to giving orders. I just want things done right.”

Ryou chuckled at Malik’s frustration, shaking his head in amusement. “Yeah, I know. You’ve always been like that.” He turned his head to look out at the sea, then flicked it in that direction. “Let’s go watch the waves. It looks really cool out there right now.”

Ryou led Malik over to the edge of the ship, looking out at what they could see. There was a pretty thick fog, so they couldn’t see too far out, but Ryou still appreciated the scenery. “Isn’t it weird how fog comes and goes? It seems like it will never go away, but by morning it always does. All of that thickness just disappears.”

Malik leaned over the edge, resting his weight on his elbows. Ryou did the same.

They chatted like that for a few minutes, completely unaware of their surroundings. Noticing Malik’s absence, Mariku had decided to go and see where he had gone to. He saw him and Ryou talking, and thought about breaking it up, but he wanted to see it for himself. Mariku was rather fascinated with how much Malik cared for Ryou. Obviously he did if he was making so many efforts to meet with him. Or perhaps it was lingering guilt for having accepted a job that Ryou didn’t get. Mariku couldn’t figure it out. He wasn’t lying about his old ‘friend’, and he’d be lying if he said he hadn’t thought about him. Things were much different for Mariku, though. While he saw himself in Malik, it didn’t mean that Malik was exactly like him. No, not at all. In fact, Mariku found it annoying that Malik actually cared so much for one person. It made it harder to move on in the end, and Mariku had a feeling there would be setbacks with Malik’s progress.

As he watched Malik converse, Mariku heard a slight creaking noise. There was no one else on deck, for they had gone to dinner, and he didn’t see either Ryou or Malik move. His senses were heightened now, and he frowned. He scanned the area, trusting his ear and putting up his defenses. 

Then he saw it.

Crouched behind some barrels was a man, and in his hand Mariku saw a knife. His eyes narrowed and his looked at where he was positioned. It looked as though the man was going to attack Malik.

Mariku, even with his tall, noticeable presence, quietly crept closer to them, his eyes focused on the mysterious man, like a lion stalking its prey.

When the man moved, so did Mariku.

He ran out at Malik and pulled him out of the way fast enough to get him out of the line of fire.

Mariku did not.

The man’s knife drove into Mariku’s upper thigh, and a shaky, growly shout of pain escaped him.

The deck was quiet, the man realizing his mistake, Mariku processing the sharp pain, Malik suddenly realizing the situation, and Ryou recognizing the design on the handle of the knife. 

The man quickly scrambled past Mariku, but the only one looking at him was the latter. Mariku growled in anger and glared at Ryou who was the only person standing and mobile. “Get him! Grab him you fucking idiot!”

Ryou snapped out of his shock and he processed Mariku’s words as quickly as he could. He turned and started running after the man, but by the time he had moved even a foot, he was gone. Vanished. Disappeared into the fog. Ryou heard a thud and twisted around to see Mariku had fallen, but he didn’t look hurt. He looked angry.

“You-You lost him?!” Mariku shouted, glaring daggers in Ryou’s direction. “You stupid fucking- You weak little- Fucking huh...mngh…” Mariku, who was practically shaking with rage, seemed to have reached his breaking point. He vomited, still trying to throw out insults at Ryou, and some of them were in a language Ryou didn’t quite recognize. He was still shocked, though, and watched as Malik got up from where he had been pushed down. 

“Captain! You-You were stabbed!” Malik went to tend to him, looking over at Ryou with a suspicious amount of anger in his eyes. “Ryou, go get someone to help. Hurry!”

Without question, Ryou ran off to do just that. He’d found the doctors of the ship and led them to the scene. He stood off to the side, staring dumbly at only one thing: The knife in Mariku’s leg. While Ryou didn’t recognize its wielder, he did recognize the design on the handle.

A snake.


	3. Chapter 3

…

The ship didn’t seem to move as everyone heard word of what had happened. They were all on the main deck, standing away from the scene to give their captain the space he needed. He was moved into his cabin, and the crew remained in silence, not quite sure what to do at this point. Ryou noticed that Malik had gone with the doctors into Mariku’s secluded room, but he wasn’t thinking about that now. He was thinking about who that man was.

Perhaps it was only coincidence that the knife had a snake on it, but it looked almost exactly the same as the one he saw adorning Bakura’s attire. The snake on his hat and on his eye patch. It gave Ryou chills when he thought about it. When he thought about the fact that that man might know Bakura, and that there was a chance Bakura sent him, Ryou didn’t feel so safe anymore. He knew he had to tell Malik now, especially if Malik was the original target.

Malik, however, was worried about his captain. He stood and watched the doctors work until he couldn’t take it anymore. He eventually had to turn around, for watching the knife being removed was too much for him to handle at the moment. What was even more unnerving was Mariku’s lack of response. He was wide awake, but didn’t do much except hiss and grunt every now and then. Malik was sure he should be screaming, but then again, it was hard to really envision something like that. Mariku didn’t come off as the type to not handle pain well. And this certainly proved his tolerance.

After a while, Malik was tapped on the shoulder and the doctor told him they were done. The knife was placed on the nightstand next to Mariku’s bunk and Malik gave it a sideways glance. His eyes were drawn to Mariku, though, when the other chuckled.

“Surely you didn’t think I was a goner, did you?” Mariku snorted. “It’s going to take a hell of a lot more than a splinter in my leg to get rid of me.”

Malik smiled in the slightest, pulling a chair from Mariku’s desk over so he could sit beside the captain’s bunk. “I never said I was worried about you,” he teased. “But I’m glad to hear you remain in good health.”

Malik watched as Mariku sat himself up a bit and winced in the process. “Has anyone found that man, yet?” He asked, to which Malik shook his head.

“No, not yet.”

Mariku shook his head, his expression turning into a scowl. “He was right there, Malik. Anyone else would have been able to catch him.” He growled. “Ryou didn’t even move. I want that man caught. I want to know who sent him.” Mariku switched his gaze from his balled fists to Malik, gesturing to the knife on the nightstand. “That man was going for you, Malik. I saw him.”

“You-What?” Malik knit his brows in confusion. Mariku wasn’t the target? “_Me?_ Why would he have gone after me?”

“That’s a good question. Look at that knife. Does that mean anything to you?” 

Malik looked over at the knife, though he was very much aware of Mariku’s intense staring. He wasn’t sure how to answer this question. He felt as though any answer would be the wrong answer. “No, I’ve never seen that before.” Malik managed the courage to look back at Mariku, shifting under his gaze. “Am I supposed to..?”

Mariku stared at him for a moment longer, inspecting Malik’s face before he visibly eased back with a sigh. “No. Not you. Someone here does, though.” 

Again, Malik noticed Mariku tense once more, as if he were angry or upset. It was quiet for a moment until Malik decided to figure out what information was being withheld. “Captain, what does that knife mean? I think if I was the apparent target, I should at least get some idea as to why. I don’t believe I’ve upset anyone. Have I?” Malik took another glance at the knife, studying the design on the handle in case he would need to know it for later. He looked up when Mariku grunted.

“I could tell you, yes. However, it may alter your perception of people. Are you prepared for that, Malik? To have your doubts be pushed to the surface and questioned?”

Malik squinted, thinking over the question. Then he nodded. “Yes. I want to know, Mariku. Tell me.”

… 

_“You’re full of shit,” Bakura snorted, shoveling his dinner into his mouth. “No way that sorry sod of a captain asked you to meet with him. I don’t believe that for one minute.”_

_Mariku rolled his eyes, looking out at the water at the edge of the ship. His hand gripped one of the sails ropes, and he leaned his body to the side. “Well he did.” He glanced over his shoulder at Bakura and smirked. “We don’t all get kicked around you know. With an attitude adjustment, I’m sure he’d at least look at you for once.” He earned a hard kick to his side, causing him to lose balance and stumble to the side. He chuckled while Bakura growled._

_“Whatever. ‘Guy’s a jerk, anyway. Not my fault you kiss his ass every day. Is it even worth it?”_

_“Well,” Mariku turned around when he heard footsteps, his smirk wiping away from his face. “I guess we’re going to find out,” He mumbled._

_“Ah! Just the men I wanted to see!” The captain said with a grin. “Good to see you’re both enjoying each others company. How nice.”_

_Bakura sat up in the slightest, his eyes narrowing. “Nothing ‘nice’ about doing what we do everyday. What’s your agenda, ‘captain’.” The title held no respect, but rather a great deal of malice. “You look like you’ve got a stick up your ass.”_

_The captain’s grin immediately fell, and his nose wrinkled upon further inspection of Bakura. “Always a pleasure seeing you, rat. But it looks like you’re in luck today. I’ve got a proposition for the both of you.”_

… 

Malik chuckled, unable to help himself. “You had a friend? _You_, Mariku, had a _friend?_” His amusement wasn’t mutual, though. Mariku’s expression was blank and distracted just as it had been when he began his story. Malik cleared his throat. “Sorry.”

“Don’t bother. You’re right. I was ridiculous to have befriended Bakura. He was trouble the first moment I met him. After that, it only got worse.”

“What did the captain want from you?” Malik asked, noticing the slight hint of a cringe on Mariku’s part. As though the words had hurt him.

“He told us he was looking for a captain. He was old. Tired. He felt as though we were a good fit for what he was looking for. There was a catch, though. Only one of us would get the job.” Mariku twitched, his jaw tensing and untensing. “I wanted it bad, Malik. I was going to be captain. Power was never in my grasp before, but now it was at my fingertips. I was going to take it, and I did.”

Malik cocked his head to the side, not exactly understanding. “How did you get it?”

“I fought for it, of course. When you have something important to you that close, you fight for it, Malik. I didn’t care about Bakura anymore. He became my enemy, and I became his. He wanted the position, too, and that was a threat to me. I wasn’t going to let someone, friend or not, get in the way of what was rightfully mine.” Mariku narrowed his eyes at Malik. “And you shouldn’t either. Don’t waste your time with other people like that. It slows you down. _Immensely._”

Malik tensed at that, very aware of what, and who, Mariku was getting at. He ignored it, though, for he certainly thought about that subject more than he would care to admit. “So, what happened to him? To Bakura? How did you become captain?”

There was a moment of silence between them, as though Mariku were thinking about his answer. He spoke before Malik did again. “I told you. We fought.” He chuckled, leaning himself back in his bed against his pillow. “And I won. We’ll sort this knife situation out later. For now, though, I’m putting you in charge, Malik. Your first task is to find out more information about this situation. See if you can’t find the filthy scum that did this. He’s going to pay if he’s still here.”

Malik blinked in confusion, trying to figure out if he had heard Mariku correctly or not. “You want me in charge? I… I don’t know if-”

“Are you telling me I made the wrong decision?” Mariku scoffed. “Don’t humble yourself. I’m never wrong. Now go. Do as I asked before I change my mind.”

…

Ryou had been pacing and trying to keep himself busy, going over the options in his head. None of this was good. No matter what he did, if he told Malik or kept quiet, it would end with Ryou getting into trouble. It had already started with Ryou at fault. After weighing the outcomes, Ryou decided that perhaps it was time to fess up, and when Malik came out of the cabin, Ryou was the first to squeeze through the crowd to speak to him.

“Malik! Malik, is he okay?” Ryou walked alongside Malik when he caught up with him. It was almost as if Malik didn’t notice him. They walked over to the edge of the ship, away from the crew members.

“Yeah.. I think he’s fine. He’s bleeding a lot. Doctors told me to give them some space.” Ryou noticed Malik’s lips curl upward into a small smile. “And he put me in charge, too. For the time being.”

“In charge?” Ryou was shocked. Well, was he really, though? It seemed as though Malik was the obvious choice to be second in command considering that was what Mariku was training him for. Still, though, it was a surprise to have it actually happen. “So… What does that mean? What do you have to do?”

Malik shrugged. “He told me to get some information and look for any signs of that man on the ship. I should probably get to that.”

“Ah!” Ryou grabbed Malik’s sleeve before he could walk away. “Wait! I… I think I have some information for you, but you’re not going to like it.”

Ryou quickly let go of Malik when he turned around, taking note that Malik already looked upset with him. He would have to tread carefully with this information.

“Well? What is it, Ryou?”

Ryou took a deep breath to prepare himself. It was very clear now that he should have just said something when he had the chance. “Okay, well, it was that day we found that box. You were running to the beach, and my sleeve got caught on a branch. Before I could catch up to you, there was a man that stopped me. He told me that I should join his crew and that he was watching us. When I refused, he tried to make me go with him, but I bit his hand and ran away.” Ryou wasn’t sure when he had lost eye contact with Malik, but he ended his brief explanation looking down at his feet. He felt Malik’s fingers grow tense for a moment, before their weight was gone. When he looked up again, Malik’s eyes were shut and he was pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Ryou, why didn’t you tell me this when it happened? You just-I didn’t-” Malik groaned. “Whatever. What does this have to do with what happened today? Was that man the one who was on the ship just now?”

Ryou bit his lip and shook his head. “No… not exactly. But the design on the handle of the knife was the same as the one I saw on the man’s hat. He said his name was Bakura.”

There was a very long moment of silence between them, and it seemed as though everyone on the ship had stopped moving. The only sound Ryou heard was the rapid beating of his heart. He studied Malik’s body language and confirmed that he was very, very upset now. He wasn’t moving. He just stood there until he finally exploded.

“_Bakura?_ His name was- It was _Bakura?!_” Malik grit his teeth and moved closer to Ryou as the latter started to back away. “Do you even know what you’ve done? Didn’t you think that, for one second, this was dire information for us? For Mariku and our crew?” He scoffed. “No, of _course_ not! You don’t think at all! And now we’re left with-with what? With an injured captain, a hitman on the loose, and _you!”_

“But Malik, I didn’t think that-!”

“No, you didn’t think! You admitted it!” Malik reached out and grabbed Ryou by the collar of his shirt, pulling him closer and nearly lifting him off the ground. “You don’t have any idea how difficult you’ve made this situation, Ryou.”  
Ryou looked back at Malik with fear and hurt in his eyes. Malik didn’t blink. His hold on Ryou’s shirt tightened, but it relaxed moments later. He shoved Ryou off to the side, not looking in his direction as he stumbled backwards. “Get out of my way, Ryou. I have a job to do.”

Ryou watched Malik walk away, the back of him looking almost like a completely different person. He only looked away when he felt uneasy, and for a good reason, too. The entire crew was glaring at him, and looked as if they were all going to jump him at the same time. Before they could, though, Ryou ran off and went below deck, thinking that he should find solitude before anyone could see him cry. When he found his own secluded area where the canons were kept, Ryou surprised himself. He didn’t cry.

He got angry.

Ryou didn’t realize how much anger he had pent up throughout this trip until this very moment. Perhaps it wasn’t the safest place to have a tantrum, but he did anyway. Ryou punched at the walls and kicked supplies and shouted random swears and insults. He couldn’t believe Malik. What ever happened to being there no matter what? Where was Malik now? Probably talking with Mariku, no doubt. Probably plotting to make Ryou walk the plank and be rid of him once and for all. 

Ryou, now out of breath and cooling down, sat down on the floor where he stood, leaning his head back against the wall. He let out a deep breath, deciding it better to think logically rather than irrationally. It didn’t seem to matter how he thought, though, for he didn’t understand Malik’s new found loyalty to Mariku. Ryou supposed it wasn’t a sudden change, but from what he knew of Malik was that he didn’t trust the captain. If that was true, then why did Malik get so upset?

That was the thing. Malik _was_ loyal, and he was put in charge, too. What did Ryou have to offer? Nothing much but a massive headache. 

Perhaps, Ryou thought, Malik would be better off if he left. Then he wouldn’t have to worry about keeping Ryou safe or finding out important information too late. Maybe it would have been better if he had gone with Bakura.

Quickly, Ryou shook his head to shake away the thoughts. It was silly to dwell on the past. Ryou knew that he had made a promise to Malik and, whether Malik was keeping his or not, Ryou would never break something as important as keeping his friend safe. He just might have to keep his distance for a while until things cool down. 

If they ever cool down. Ryou would have to wait and see.

… 

_Bakura’s fingers curled and gripped at the wood beneath them, his eyes looking out at the sun as it began fading away, being hidden by the horizon. Clouds gathered, and Bakura felt raindrops begin to drizzle down from them. He was tense, hunched over the edge of the ship and staring intently out at the water. The sound of wood creaking caused him to flinch, his head turning to look over his shoulder. He scoffed. “Long time no see,” He said bitterly, facing his body toward Mariku and crossing his arms. “Why are you here?”_

_“I wanted some air.”_

_Bakura’s eyes narrowed as Mariku moved closer to him. “I didn’t realize you owned the deck.”_

_“Are you fucking serious?” Bakura uncrossed his arms. “Don’t act like you’re innocent. I know what you did. Don’t talk to me like we’re ‘buddies’.”_

_Mariku took it upon himself to walk over to the edge where Bakura had been standing previously. He looked out at the water then. “I didn’t do anything you wouldn’t do. Don’t take it so personally.”_

_“Don’t-What?!” Bakura grabbed Mariku’s shoulder and turned him towards himself, his fingers gripping the fabric of the other’s shirt tightly. “Is this a joke to you? You think I’m just going to ignore the fact you sabotaged my work? You set me up for failure!”_

_“I didn’t set you up for anything.” Mariku glanced at Bakura’s hand passively. “I only emphasized what you really are.”_

_Bakura grit his teeth, his other hand balling into a fist and raising itself to throw a punch to Mariku’s face, but Mariku got to him first with a punch to the gut. Bakura doubled over and backed away, holding the offended area._

_“Pathetic. You really thought that you were better than me? I’ve always known you were a failure ever since we met. You think that everything is a game. Why should I give you a fair chance at being captain if I already know you’re going to fail at it?” _

_Bakura felt as though his blood was boiling within himself. He was a fool to have thought that he could trust Mariku as much as he did, let alone at all. There were numerous red flags, so many times when Mariku had mentioned his strong desire to be in control. Not necessarily of the ship, but of something. It seemed as though this was it, though. Bakura straightened himself up and withdrew a knife he kept on his belt, pointing it at Mariku along with an intense glare. “You want it so bad? Fine. No more games. We’ll see who really deserves it.”_

_Bakura watched as Mariku, without hesitation, unsheathed his own knife, his expression showing pure excitement. Mariku’s fingers visibly twitched, and his tongue darted out of his mouth to lick over his lips. It was only then that they realized the drizzle had turned into a downpour. Their only light was the glow of the lanterns coming from the entryways to the lower deck. Bakura’s body tensed and his back curved, putting himself into a defensive position, ready to either make or block the first strike. _

_“Go on, Bakura!” Mariku laughed. “Prove yourself! Show me you’re not a coward!”_

_That was all that needed to be said to get Bakura to lose control. He lunged forward and swung his arm, but Mariku quickly moved out of the way. Bakura stumbled, trying to regain his footing on the slippery wood. He growled. “You fucking-” He moved again, only Mariku struck at Bakura before Bakura could get to him. The knife ripped Bakura’s sleeve, and Mariku’s knife left a thin cut across his upper arm._

_Mariku made a stuttery, shaky sounding laugh. “You’re not doing too well right now, Bakura. What are you going to do?”_

_Bakura stood still, gripping his knife firmly and licking the drops of water that streamed down his face. It was silent between them, and the ship rocked with more vigor than before as the sea caught up with the weather in the sky. Waves crashed against the ship. Rain splashed against the wood. It was then that Bakura knew at this point it was either him or Mariku. Mariku wasn’t going to stop until Bakura was dead._

_So be it. _

_Bakura paced, slowly side stepping and circling around Mariku. He spat, never losing eye contact he had made with the other. “You want the job? You want to be captain? Then take it.” Bakura stood straight, putting his arms out at his sides, motioning with his fingers for Mariku to make his move. “Fucking take it! Do your planned dirty work, Mariku!”_

_It seemed as though there was a moment’s hesitation between them up until Mariku made his move. It had happened fast. Mariku ran toward Bakura, but it was Bakura’s turn to move out of the way. Mariku managed to cut Bakura once more, this time across the chest, but Bakura managed to push Mariku down. The wood was slippery, and it was easy to knock him over. Mariku quickly rolled over so he wasn’t on his stomach. Bakura was standing over him now, and he stepped on his chest._

_“You don’t look like much of a captain to me,” Bakura said, touching the point of his knife to Mariku’s cheek. He leaned down to get closer to Mariku’s face, the water from his hair dripping down around him. “I’m sure I’ll do just as fine a job as you would have.”_

_As Bakura raised his arm, an indication that he was going to stab Mariku somewhere lethal, Mariku grabbed Bakura’s foot and flipped him off of himself. Unlike Mariku, Bakura was able to scramble back on his feet. Mariku chuckled. “You can’t stay down, can you?” He crept forward, and Bakura stepped back. Bakura thought about his situation. He couldn’t measure up to Mariku. And now, as Mariku backed him up against the edge of the ship, it seemed as though Mariku had grown a few inches. He looked so much taller, so much stronger, and so much more determined than he had just a few moments ago. Bakura’s breath got caught in his throat when he felt his back hit the edge, the sound of the waves louder than they had ever been. He gripped his knife tighter, as if that alone would help him at all._

_“You don’t know your place, Bakura. Maybe it’s time I put you in it.”_

_Mariku reached out and grabbed Bakura by the hair, pulling it so that the latter’s head tilted backward. Mariku’s cold blade made contact with Bakura’s cheek. _

_Bakura knew what he had to do. He knew the only way out of this. Timing. Patience._

_“You don’t look like much of a captain to me,” Mariku mocked, grinning as he looked at what he recognized as fear in Bakura’s eyes. “That will never change.”_

_Just then, there was a flash of lightning, followed by a rumble of thunder. The ship rocked, the waves crashed, and Mariku lost his balance. Before he would let himself fall, Mariku moved his hand down, cutting into the left side of Bakura’s face. The last thing Mariku heard before another crack of thunder was Bakura’s scream of agony._

_The immense swaying of the ship caused Mariku to fall backward. He was disoriented for a few seconds, but when he looked back up to where he had held Bakura just moments before, he was gone._

_Bakura was gone._

…

That night, Malik failed to find any further information on the intruder that stabbed Mariku. He ordered a search on the entire ship and interrogated each and every crew member only to find nothing more than what Ryou had told him. That only meant one thing, and Malik was honestly dreading having the idea.

Ryou was connected to Bakura. Something he did made Bakura approach him. Then why did that man want to kill Malik? What did Malik have to do with whatever it was Ryou got tangled in? He wasn’t exactly sure, but other than that fact, Malik knew he would have to tell Mariku. While he was still upset with Ryou, Malik wasn’t so sure how Mariku would react to this information. Would he _kill_ Ryou? No… He wouldn’t.

Would he?

Malik shuddered at the thought. He supposed that giving Mariku this information could wait until morning, so he bid good night and went to his private sleeping cabin. A luxury Mariku had awarded him along with his new position.

Ryou awoke with a start. He sat straight up and looked at his surroundings, confused at first as he wasn’t used to waking up indoors. He was still below deck, and he felt an ache in his back. Sleeping on the wood in an awkward position seemed to have caused some stiffness. He yawned, stretched, then peeked out a hole in the ship’s wood. The sun was high and the sky was clear. Ryou’s eyes widened.

Sun? He was late! He had slept too late!

Of course, it was because he had been keeping watch these past nights, which often meant losing a good few hours of sleep, but Ryou knew of his responsibilities and the rules of the ship. He raced up the stairs, grabbed his bucket and mop, and decided to start his chores in the kitchen rather than on the main deck. He wasn’t sure how the crew felt about him anymore, for now they had a legitimate reason to hate him. More so, however, Ryou was afraid of running into Malik. They had fought last night, and frankly, Ryou hadn’t forgotten about it. He’d never been on the receiving end of Malik’s anger before, and Ryou found that it felt absolutely terrible. Especially because Malik was supposed to be his friend! Maybe he had made a mistake by not telling Malik about Bakura, but that didn’t mean Ryou deserved to be thrown away and treated as though he wasn’t the closest friend Malik ever had. His only friend at that.

Ryou sighed as he began to mop the floor. He knew he would have to face Malik sooner or later, but still, it troubled him. Why was Malik so upset? Yes, perhaps Mariku wouldn’t be injured had Ryou spoken up, but it seemed as though there was more to it than that, and Malik wasn’t sharing the information. Perhaps Ryou would hear it soon. He hoped he would, for it would certainly give him a better explanation for Malik’s outburst.

Ryou was able to clean the dining hall in peace, and nobody really seemed to have been looking for him. That was a good sign. His next job, however would require him to go onto the main deck, and Ryou wasn’t sure he wanted to do that. It was his job, though. His responsibility. It seemed as though it would be worse for him to abandon his responsibilities in favor of avoiding confrontation. So, with a deep breath, Ryou took his mop and bucket and climbed the stairs to the main deck. He squinted as the sunlight blinded him momentarily, but as he adjusted to the brighter surroundings, the thought of crawling back down into the cannon room was first in his mind. Everyone seemed to stop their work and stared. Then they glared. There was no use in trying to explain or redeem himself, so Ryou let out a puff of air and looked down at his feet, heading toward the area with the least amount of people so he could begin his mopping duty. 

It was awkward to say the least. Ryou could hear Malik’s voice, the commanding, stern tone echoing throughout the entire ship. Mariku was right in choosing Malik to be in charge. It seemed he had a natural talent for leadership. After all, he’d been guiding Ryou around all these years. Malik had changed, and Ryou had a constant debate in his mind about whether this was good or bad. It felt as though he was losing his best friend, but that same best friend was getting somewhere neither of them could have ever imagined being. Was it selfish to wish Malik had never gotten the promotion?

Ryou wouldn’t be able to answer his own question for now, for as he was mopping (albeit distractedly), he was bumped into, and he was snapped out of his reflective state.

“Watch it, cabin boy,” The man said, turning around to sneer at Ryou. “You’ll get yourself into more trouble.”

Ryou frowned at him. While he knew he wasn’t paying much attention, he was sure that man bumped into him on purpose. There wasn’t anyone else around them. At least, not before. This encounter seemed to draw some attention. “I’m sorry,” He mumbled, hoping that it would satisfy the situation and the man would walk away.

He didn’t.

The crew member snorted and took a step towards Ryou. “You’re ‘sorry’? Yeah, you’re sorry to me, but not to your captain. ‘Sorry’ isn’t going to fix what happened.”

Ryou gripped his mop tighter. He was right, but what was Ryou supposed to say? He stepped back and shook his head a few times. “I-I didn’t know that was going to happen!” He tried to defend himself. Ryou knew it wasn’t the best idea, but he felt as though he needed to. Malik didn’t really give him a chance to the past night. “If I had known I would have done something. Honest!”

This only seemed to fuel the fire, for now Ryou saw all eyes on them. The man took another step and Ryou hid behind the stick of his mop.

“A coward. An absolute _useless_ coward. You don’t deserve to be on this ship. Captain made a mistake in allowing you here.” The man took another step forward, and kicked the bucket of water over in Ryou’s direction. The dirty water splashed onto him up to his knees, and Ryou dropped the mop from the sudden shock of cold. The crew surrounding them laughed. 

Ryou wasn’t laughing. He was a mixture of furious and terrified. His hands balled into fists and he attempted to glare at his bully. However, his attention was diverted, along with everyone else’s, as footsteps sounded from the upper deck. They traveled down the stairs, and when the crowd moved out of the way, Ryou saw Malik walking in between them. He seemed to be donning a new pair of earrings and a couple of rings. Things Ryou knew Malik had always wanted. 

“What’s going on here?” He demanded, standing in front of Ryou and the aggressive crew member. “Why don’t I see you, or any of you for that matter, working?”

Ryou felt relieved. Malik was going to break it up. Ryou knew he still had his friend.

“I was just going to teach this useless swab a lesson,” The man said, much to Ryou’s surprise. He didn’t seem to be worried about any consequences whatsoever. “Teach him loyalty and respect.”

Ryou watched Malik’s eyes roam over him, and the feeling of relief went away instantly. Malik was looking at him as if he were nothing. Just like Mariku.  
“I see,” He said, looking around at the crowd of men now. “And what does this have to do with all of you? Get back to work! I shouldn’t have to be looking after your every move!” Instantly, the crowd dispersed, and Malik’s attention returned to the two men before him. “I shouldn’t be looking after anyone, and I can’t.” Malik’s eyes narrowed at Ryou for a brief second before he turned away. “It’s none of my business what happens behind my back. As long as it’s not stopping my ship.”

Ryou’s heart dropped to his stomach. Before he could protest and call for Malik to come back, the man reached out and grabbed Ryou by his shoulder, shoving his fist into Ryou’s face immediately after. Ryou’s hands immediately went to hold the pained area: His eye.

“Let that be a warning to you. Respect your captain, cabin boy.” 

With that, the man walked away, and Ryou was left alone with his dirty water and injured face. 

…

The day went by slowly after that. Ryou had retreated momentarily to tend to his eye which, much to his displeasure, had bruised and swelled. He was marked as dishonest with a shiner, and it wouldn’t be going away for a while. 

Ryou didn’t have the energy to be mad, though. Had it been yesterday, Ryou would have done the exact same thing: Kick over boxes, punch the walls, grind his teeth… But now he couldn’t find the energy to be angry. Of course he was, though. Malik might as well have punched Ryou himself. It was blatant permission. A literal allowance to that man to hurt Ryou. And for what? Because Malik was mad that Ryou didn’t open his mouth? Surely it couldn’t have been that serious. It couldn’t have been worth a punch in the face and a black eye. No matter if it did or didn’t, it was clear now that things wouldn’t be the same. Malik wasn’t Ryou’s friend anymore, and Ryou wasn’t Malik’s. 

After washing up, Ryou still remained responsible and finished his work. He cleaned and mopped until the sun set, and the dinner bell was rung. He didn’t feel much like eating, though. No, Ryou had other plans in mind. He knew where Malik’s room was, and he had a clear view of the hall from a certain spot on the deck. He decided to wait until he saw Malik, for a civilized chat was overdue at this point. Ryou didn’t want to lose his friend, but he wasn’t going to let himself be treated like he didn’t matter. Like he never mattered.

He should have seen it coming. There were signs of Malik’s change, and Ryou knew it was because of the power he held and the words Mariku was telling him. Bakura, Ryou concluded, was right. But how could he have known that? How could he have known that Malik was Mariku’s favorite just by looking at him? Ryou had so many questions, but there was no one to answer them. He felt alone now. And he was. He sat outside alone, and he had been for a few weeks now. He missed having dinner with Malik outside in the moonlight. He missed laughing and talking with him. He missed leaning his head on Malik’s shoulder when he got tired, and he missed doing the same for Malik. Most of all, Ryou missed when Malik distrusted Mariku. There was something that wasn’t right. Ryou sensed that Mariku’s attitude toward Malik wasn’t genuine, but what did Ryou know? He was just a useless swab.

Ryou watched the sun go down, but he mostly paid attention to the hall. Malik was his first priority, and Ryou was so fixated on catching sight of him, he hadn’t even noticed how dark it had gotten. Just as he was starting to get tired, Ryou heard footsteps and the muffled sounds of shouting and laughing. He blinked away his exhaustion and stood up, running toward Malik when he saw him leaving the dining hall.

“Malik!” He called out, stopping in the doorway. He paused a moment, noticing Malik’s hesitation as he turned to look at him. “Malik, can we talk? Please?”

Ryou saw another moment’s hesitation as Malik opened his mouth to answer. He ended up not saying anything, but instead nodded his head. He opened the door to his cabin and held it open for Ryou, who gladly walked right in.

Frankly, Ryou wasn’t expecting this to be easy, but it seemed as though Malik wasn’t completely shunning Ryou. That was a good sign, right?

They both entered, and Ryou sat down in a chair as Malik took a seat on his bunk. It was silent, and Ryou figured Malik was waiting for him to say something first. So he did.

“I… I’ll be honest. I’m confused. I-”

“I’m sorry, Ryou.”

Ryou stopped, looking at Malik in the eyes, but Malik couldn’t seem to do the same. He was looking at his hands which were folded in his lap. Ryou allowed him to continue.

“I didn’t-Ryou, I didn’t think he was going to punch you there. I didn’t know he was going to leave a mark like that. I was mad at you, and I didn’t think it through. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have allowed that to happen.”

Ryou bit his lip. As someone who was usually forgiving, Ryou found that he couldn’t exactly accept Malik’s apology. Besides, that wasn’t the reason Ryou wanted to talk.

He shook his head. “I mean, I guess that’s sort of why I’m here. I didn’t come looking for an apology, though. I came because I have questions. Questions that only you can answer. All I ask is that you answer them with as much honesty as possible.” Ryou squinted in the slightest, looking at Malik with a bit of uncertainty. “Can you do that? Can you answer my questions?”

Malik nodded. It was Ryou’s turn to look down at his hands now.

“Ok, well… I just don’t understand what’s going on. What happened, Malik? Why do-Why are you-” Ryou groaned in frustration. He looked up at Malik and decided to just let it out. “Why are you acting this way? Why don’t you talk to me anymore? You sometimes act as though we hadn’t known each other our entire lives. I barely get a chance to see you and I can tell, after all of this, I’ll be seeing even less of you. Why are you suddenly being so distant from me? Is it all because of yesterday?” Ryou let out a breath when he was done. His face had gotten a little pink from a momentary flash of anger, and his palms felt sweaty now. He wasn’t afraid to yell at Malik before, but now he was worried after the fact. Malik wasn’t the same person Ryou knew.

He watched Malik shift in his place, his expression somewhat hard to read. That part of him hadn’t changed.  
“Alright. Fine,” Malik said, taking off his hat and running a hand through his hair. “You want to know the truth? You want my honesty?” Malik bit over his lip a moment, but then he stood. There was hesitation, but Ryou wasn’t sure what to think of it. “I’m sorry you feel left out, Ryou. Really, I am, but you have to learn. You have to learn to take care of yourself. To fight for yourself. You can’t be depending on me to swoop in and save you every time you’re in trouble. I’ve distanced myself from you so that we can both benefit. Don’t you see?” Malik gestured around the room and then to himself. “I had no idea I was capable of any of this. Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought that I would practically be running an entire pirate ship. Here I am, though. Doing just that. I’m doing it because I branched out, Ryou. I didn’t let anything hold me back.”

Ryou frowned. “You mean, you didn’t let _me_ hold you back.” He sighed, his hands balling into fists. He felt his fingernails dig into his palms. “I hear what you’re saying, but I just don’t agree.” Ryou stood up as well so that they were level with each other. At least, as much as they could be. “If I was with you that day, we would both be in the same position. In fact, something tells me you took all the credit for yourself, Malik! I get it. I know being on the bottom sucks, but-but you know what?” Ryou glared at Malik, though it perhaps wasn’t very effective when only one eye worked the way it was supposed to. “It’s even worse doing it alone! Not that you would even know what being alone is like. Everyone always comes to you. Everyone always wants to spend time with Malik, don’t they?”

“That’s not the point!” Malik argued back. “You can’t be jealous of me! I worked hard for this, Ryou! I’ve kept both of us alive and received nothing in return. Now, when I’m finally getting something that I’ve worked for, I’m not allowed to have it?” 

Ryou nearly shoved Malik back, but he managed to keep his arms at his sides. He grit his teeth before he answered. “Are you _blind?_ You’re not the only one working! While you’re having fun and bossing people around, I’m staying up every night keeping watch _alone!_ And you seem to be forgetting the fact that _I_ solved all of those stupid riddles! Without my help you wouldn’t even be here!”__

_ _Ryou’s voice didn’t resonate in the small cabin, but it felt like it did, for there was no reply after that. The two were glowering at each other, clearly holding themselves back from physical contact. Malik swallowed down his argument and decided that the conversation was going on too long now. He visibly relaxed, and he scoffed at Ryou._ _

_ _“Complain all you want. You’re still at the bottom, and that’s no one else’s fault but yours. Clearly you didn’t seem to have gotten hit hard enough for the message to get through.”_ _

_ _Ryou was taken off guard by that, and he backed off. His glare turned into a confused expression, if only for a moment, before he hid his hurt with anger. “You listen to anything Mariku tells you, don’t you?” Ryou shook his head. “What happened to you, Malik?”_ _

_ _Malik adjusted the rings on his fingers as if he hadn’t even heard what Ryou said. He looked up at Ryou again with a curled lip. A genuine look of disgust. “I grew up,” He said, stepping forward and grabbing Ryou’s wrist. He pulled him over to the door and shoved him out into the hall. “I strongly suggest you do the same. There’s no room for child’s play on this ship. Maybe if you stopped worrying about being my friend, you would actually be able to get somewhere worth while.”_ _

_ _With that, Malik slammed the door in Ryou’s face. _ _

_ _The hall was quiet, excepting the muffled voices and cheering coming from behind the door of the dining hall. That talk certainly hadn’t gone in the direction Ryou wanted it to go. At least he wasn’t confused anymore, though. It was a stated fact that Malik was no longer Ryou’s friend. Considering Malik’s attitude, he didn’t have too much of a problem with that._ _

_ _That is, until he remembered that Malik was his oldest friend. His only friend. _ _

_ _But that didn’t really matter anymore now, did it?_ _

_ _Ryou sighed, looking at the floor as he trudged up the stairs and back out onto the main deck. He should be doing his job, anyway. Being lookout was important. Or so he was told._ _

_ _When he got out to the deck, Ryou realized how dark it was, and that he had forgotten to relight the lantern hanging near the hall he had just come out of. Once it was lit, Ryou turned around. He didn’t expect to see another ship sailing directly next to theirs._ _

_ _Apparently, while Ryou had been distracted, he failed to notice an incoming ship, and when he went to talk to Malik, whoever it was found the perfect opportunity to move in closer. _ _

_ _That wasn’t good._ _

_ _Ryou ran over to the side of the ship to inspect what was going on so that he could alert the crew, but he halted. There was a board and a few ropes already attached to their ship. Ryou was still and speechless. He didn’t hear any sounds, and he had a hunch that if enemies were about to board their ship not only would he hear them, but he would see them._ _

_ _He didn’t see anyone, though. It was dark. Even the foreign ship had only but a few lanterns lit. Ryou took a step back, glancing around to try and spot a moving shadow. He had a hunch that their ship was already breached, and the enemy was waiting to attack. Ryou quickly thought over his options: Shout for help and be killed, run to get help and be killed, or say nothing. Doing nothing might also result in him being killed._ _

_ _As he stepped back, Ryou could swear he felt the body heat of another person. He wouldn’t be able to tell in time to find out, though. _ _

_ _As he whirled around to inspect the strange feeling behind him, an object was swung and it was a direct hit to the side of Ryou’s head. By the time he hit the deck with a thud, it was too late. His eyelids (or rather his one good eyelid) felt heavy, and he barely caught a glimpse of his attacker. Before he lost consciousness, Ryou was able to register a quiet chuckle, and a glimpse of something silver. The silver thing got closer to his face, and the last thought he had was one word._ _

_ _ _Snake.___


	4. Chapter 4

…

Ryou awoke with a gasp.

His eyes shot open and his body sat up straight. He felt a cold sweat on his forehead and his body had goosebumps all over. It seemed, he thought, he had awoken from a bad dream. A nightmare, perhaps. However, the first thing that Ryou noticed was the fact that he couldn’t move his hands. When he looked down to figure out why, he felt his stomach knot, much like the rope that held his wrists together. Upon further inspection, he found the rope around his wrists also went around his waist, ensuring that he wouldn’t he moving or raising his arms very far in any direction. After identifying this first predicament, Ryou investigated the room he was in. It was very small, and there were brooms and mops against the wall. It looked to be a storage closet, and Ryou saw now that he was on the floor. None of this was good for his already stiff muscles. Not to mention that he didn’t think he was on the same ship anymore. Ryou furrowed his brow as he tried to remember how he got here. 

The dream didn’t seem to be a dream at all.

He remembered talking with Malik. How could he forget? Malik had practically disowned him as a friend and even wished more harm was done to Ryou after that punch in the face. 

The memory seemed to trigger an incredible pain in both Ryou’s head and his bruised eye.

Right.  
He had left Malik’s cabin and saw a ship. And then he was hit. This closet must be where he ended up after that. Ryou groaned in frustration. It seemed he couldn’t catch a break. Not even a small one.

Inevitably, Ryou started to maneuver his hands and fingers any way he could, but it proved useless if he couldn’t reach behind himself to undo the knot. He twisted and turned, but was caught off guard when the door to the closet abruptly opened. Ryou immediately stopped moving and shrunk back against the wall behind him.

“Ah! You’re awake. Perfect timing, my dear friend.” 

Before Ryou had time to react to the man before him, his arm was grabbed and he was pulled onto his feet and dragged out of the closet. He squinted as his eyes adjusted to the sun, and when they did, his breath was taken away from him just as it was when he had awoken. This new ship had darker wood, and the crew looked even scarier than Mariku’s. Ryou was suddenly overwhelmed by all that was happening at once. As if suddenly remembering he had been taken against his will, Ryou began his fear induced squirm. “You-It’s _you!_” He nearly shouted, “Let go! Let-” Before Ryou could finish his useless shouting, a hand covered his mouth and fingernails dug into his cheeks.

“I don’t know about you, Ryou, but I’m experiencing some deja vu, as if we’ve been in this exact situation before.” Bakura narrowed his eyes at Ryou for a brief moment, but it quickly turned into a harsh laugh. “Though, I’m going to make sure you don’t get away from me again. Bite me like you did last time and I’ll be sure to make this the most miserable experience of your life.” Bakura looked over Ryou’s face as if he were seeing it for the first time, examining it closely. “Understand?” Ryou gave a single nod, and Bakura dropped his hand with a grin. 

“Good. Now, let’s take you somewhere less crowded and have a little chat, hm?” Bakura looped his arm through Ryou’s and pulled him away to another door. Ryou assumed that it was Bakura’s cabin, but wasn’t quite able to process this as Bakura shoved him inside. Ryou stumbled a bit, just barely keeping himself from falling.

“Have a seat, Ryou.” Bakura dragged a chair from behind his desk and sat Ryou down, taking his own place on top of the desk. He tilted his head as he looked Ryou up and down, his expression become more stern and serious. “You’ve been a fucking pain in my ass since the last time we met, you know that? First you try biting my hand off, then you make me send a guy to come get you, and _then_ you made me have to come get you myself. That really put me behind schedule.” Bakura sighed, waving his hand and leaning his weight on the other. “Whatever. The good news is I have you now, and I will _not_ be losing you any time soon. Do you have any idea how valuable you are, and how utterly stupid Mariku is for even letting you out of his sight?” Bakura scoffed with the slightest hint of a smirk. “I’ve got some questions for you. Answer them honestly, and I won’t cut out your tongue. Deal?”

Ryou quickly nodded and answered. “Deal. It’s a deal.” He didn’t have the courage, or the energy for that matter, to ask his own follow up questions as to how Bakura even knew where Mariku’s ship was. He decided to save them for a… more convenient and less threatening time.

“Perfect!” Bakura chuckled and leaned back to pull a piece of paper out of one of his pockets, placing it next to himself on the desk. From the clanking of metal, Ryou wondered just how many weapons Bakura had under that coat of his.

“Now, is it true that you solved those riddles by yourself? You didn’t have _any_ help at all from anyone else?” Bakura looked somewhat hopeful. Ryou took note of that as he nodded his head.

“Yes. By myself.” He answered robotically.

Bakura hummed, his smirk growing wider. “Interesting. And, your friend, Malik was it? What is his current position on that old ship of yours?”

Ryou hesitated before he answered. Sitting here with his hands tied, right in front of the man who had practically predicted his future weeks ago was absolutely humiliating. He felt his face get warm and hoped the color didn’t show. “He… He’s captain now,” Ryou mumbled.

Bakura squinted his one visible eye, leaning closer and pretending to clean out his ear. “Oh, I’m sorry. You’re going to have to be a little louder. What is Malik doing now?”

“He’s in charge,” Ryou said, raising his voice in the slightest.

Bakura, not quite pleased with this, shook his head and slid off his desk. “Maybe you didn’t hear me.” He circled around the chair until he was behind Ryou, then unsheathed a small knife as he grabbed the other’s hair, pulling Ryou’s head back and placing the blade to his throat. “Say it again. Louder.”

Ryou felt his body freeze from the feeling of metal against his skin. He was almost afraid to speak, for it seemed as though the blade would cut him with the slightest movement. However, Ryou was certainly more afraid of what damage it would do if he didn’t speak at all. “He-He’s in charge!” Ryou cried back, suddenly finding it hard to breathe, yet still managing to desperately spill out words. “He’s captain! He’s in charge!”

Bakura, now satisfied, held Ryou’s head in that position for just a moment longer before slowly releasing him. He clicked his tongue three times as he circled back around Ryou’s chair to get in front of him, feigning a look of pity. “Oh… what’s wrong? Was I right, Ryou? Did a mean nasty pirate predict your future perfectly?” Bakura settled beside Ryou, crouching to his level in a patronizing way, still holding the knife so that it was visible. “Malik wasn’t there for you the first time, and you were foolish to think he would be next to you forever. That’s just not how things work out here.” He stood again, letting out a heavy sigh. “If only there were some way to get back at him.” The knife rested on Ryou’s shoulder for just a moment as Bakura circled back to face Ryou properly. “He abandoned you after all, didn’t he? Kicked you aside like you were nothing. Perhaps he is also the reason for your lovely purple eye. My complements, by the way. It makes you look a lot tougher than before.”

Ryou, despite fear clouding his mind, found that Bakura was right. Of course, he knew what Bakura was doing, but for some reason Ryou didn’t really seem to mind it. It was true! Malik had insulted Ryou physically and emotionally, and even Ryou knew it wasn’t a friendship anymore. It was over. As Ryou took a breath to say something, Bakura seemed to notice and beat him to it.

“Silence. Silence means I’m right.” Bakura chuckled and stood up again, pocketing his knife again for the time being. “Lucky for you, Ryou, I know how to get to them. With that, I’ll be giving you a second chance. Of course, you will not be having as much freedom as you would have if you had listened to me the first time, but-”

“I’ll take it,” Ryou interrupted, making sure his voice was clear. It seemed to have taken Bakura off guard. Frankly, it took Ryou off guard as well. “Whatever it is your offering, I’ll take it. I’ll do what you want. As long as what you say is true. We will be getting back at them. At Mariku and Malik?”

The corners of Bakura’s lips slowly stretched into a grin. He tossed his head back and laughed, the sound seeming to bounce off the wooden walls around them. “You better believe it! We’ll be hitting them hard. Where it hurts them most.” As if providing an example, Bakura, seemingly out of his excitement, unsheathed a knife and stabbed it into his desk. He let out a shaky sigh, licking his bottom lip. “In fact, we’re doing it right now.” Bakura picked up the paper he had set down before, opening it up and showing it to Ryou. 

Ryou gasped. He recognized it right away.

“While my little ‘messenger’ may have missed his target, he didn’t miss the smaller details. With all of the concern about Mariku, they hadn’t even noticed this map’s disappearance.”

It was true. It was the map Malik showed Ryou when he had announced his first promotion. The day Ryou failed to give the information about Bakura. Bakura now had it, and it seemed as though Ryou was on the winning side. Admittedly, he liked the sound of that. “I know that map,” Ryou said. “Malik was navigating the ship with it. He said we went a little off course, though.” 

Bakura chuckled. “Of course you did. You’re going in the complete opposite direction.”

Intrigued, Ryou leaned forward in the slightest.

“This is no ordinary map. An incompetent captain like Mariku has no way of figuring it out, and I doubt your friend even understood it in the slightest. _You_ would though, Ryou.” Bakura looked excited now, almost the same kind of twitchy excitement Mariku tended to get. “You see, it’s a riddle. The map makes no sense unless you solve it. No one but it’s creator knows how to solve it, but I have a feeling you’ll have no trouble figuring it out.” Bakura set the map down on the desk again. Abruptly, he grabbed the collar of Ryou’s shirt and pulled him close, their noses just barely touching. “The sooner you get over that stupid little fight, the sooner you and I become filthy rich. I’m closer than that asshole will ever get to this treasure, and I’m not letting you get in my way. You’re going to do as I tell you, when I tell you. The more you fight, the harder this will be for you.”

Ryou stared straight into Bakura’s eyes, stiffened with some amount of fear, but calming himself with the decision that it wouldn’t be hard at all to follow Bakura’s orders. In fact, Ryou was almost glad he was here and not on Mariku’s ship. Especially now that he would be doing something useful. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad…

“You don’t have to worry,” Ryou said in reply, feeling Bakura’s grip loosen on his shirt. “I won’t fight you. I’ll help you. I want to get back at him.” 

Bakura studied Ryou’s face for a moment, concluding that the young man was telling the truth. He let go of Ryou’s shirt, standing up straight with another grin. “Very good. I knew you held some type of potential.” He rubbed his chin then, implying that he was thinking about something. “Now… I’ll have to put you somewhere, won’t I? I suppose you don’t necessarily deserve to go back into that little closet, considering you’re doing surprisingly well. But... “ Bakura clicked his tongue and dropped his hand. “I don’t trust you, either. You’re going to have to prove yourself before I untie you.”   
He shrugged, grabbing one of Ryou’s arms and pulling him up onto his feet. He then put an arm around Ryou’s shoulders to bring him close. “I’ll just have to keep you near me for right now.”

...

Malik had awoken that morning irritated. He had spent the morning yelling and shouting, taking his anger out on crew members that were unlucky to have made a mistake in front of him on this particular day. The previous night’s conversation with Ryou was still lingering in his mind, and Malik was having an inner debate with himself on whether or not he should feel guilty. He hadn’t seen Ryou all morning, and usually he was one to maintain responsibilities. All people have limits, though. Perhaps last night was Ryou’s, and he couldn’t bear to show himself in broad daylight. Malik wasn’t sure if he was angry about that or grateful. Angry because it meant chores weren’t getting done, but grateful because seeing Ryou and that awful black eye of his was the last thing Malik needed today. 

Once the morning was sorted out, and things seemed to be running smoothly, Malik made his way to Mariku’s cabin to check on him and discuss further planning. The ship was turned around and set back on course, and Malik was confident they were getting back on track. He thought maybe the good news would cheer Mariku up a bit.

Malik knocked before he entered, coming with an offering of water for his captain.

“I brought you some water,” He said, placing the container on the table next to Mariku’s bed. Malik knew better than to ask how the other was doing. No one was here to be friendly with one another, and if Mariku was doing fine he wouldn’t be in bed.

“The ship, Malik,” Mariku said, staring at the decorative box that sat on his desk. “How is it doing? Give me a full report.”

Malik smiled in the slightest. “Captain, I am pleased to inform you that everything is no longer behind schedule. The sun is high, the winds are strong, and we have successfully turned the ship around. We are headed East now. Back on track.” 

Malik was disappointed to see that Mariku didn’t have much of a reaction. In fact, his frown deepened. “Which way were we going before?” He asked, looking at Malik now.

“West, sir. But.. Why is th-”

“And you’re _sure_ our direction is correct this time? You’re absolutely positive?” Mariku narrowed his eyes at Malik then, causing the latter to grow rigid and defensive.

“Yes, captain. I’m entirely sure. I revised the route days ago and had it confirmed.” Malik ground his teeth, his face noticeably stiff as he did. 

Mariku stared at him a moment, processing the information before waving his hand in dismissal. “Fine. Get back out there so everything stays the way you have it. Come back later.”

Malik gave a nod, then turned to leave, but stopped when Mariku spoke up again.

“What has Ryou been doing?”

Malik stopped at the door. “I haven’t seen him. He’ll probably turn up later.”

After a beat of silence, Malik got the message that it was okay to leave, and so he did. He was rather agitated after that, for it seemed as though Mariku didn’t trust him completely. For some reason, Malik felt as though he needed the validation from Mariku. If Ryou didn’t agree with his actions, at least Mariku would, but now these things weren’t playing out how Malik thought they would.

As he walked away from the door, Malik heard a thud. He thought it came from the deck, but before Malik could look around to figure it out, he heard Mariku shouting.

“Malik! Malik you-Where’s the fucking-!”

Malik turned around and was shocked to see the door slam open. Mariku was standing hunched over and leaning against the doorway. His wound had clearly reopened and was leaking blood through his bandages. “The map, you idiot!” Mariku roared, pushing himself off the doorway and making his way over to Malik. “Show it to me!” The injured captain practically threw himself on top of Malik, leaning on his shoulders.

Malik could feel the tension and the anger, Mariku’s body heat radiating just inches away from him. “I-Okay! Okay, just-Just let me get it out.” Malik didn’t realize how much he was shaking until he searched his pockets for the map. Mariku’s hands were tightly clutching the collar of his coat, which only added more fear to the situation. “It’s here. I just have to-” Malik searched his outside pockets, his inside pockets, and then frantically stuck his hands in them two, three more times. 

Nothing.

Nothing was there.

Mariku snarled in Malik’s face. “You lost it?! You fucking _lost_ it?!” Mariku shook Malik and shoved him away, barely managing to keep himself upright at this point. He certainly was doing a good job at ignoring the intense pain in his leg. “Where is it, Malik? Where’s my fucking map?!”

Malik didn’t know what to say. He stepped backward, is hands in front of him in the event of having to defend himself. “I-It was here! I had it! I had it in my pocket! It’s not-It’s not there anymore. I’m sorry!”

Mariku was about to shout a line of obscenities in Malik’s direction, but it seemed something else crossed his mind. He grit his teeth, lowering his voice to a growl. “And Ryou?” He glared at Malik. “Is he even on the fucking ship anymore?” 

Malik’s eyes widened.

He had never thought about that. Of course Ryou was on the ship! Where else would he be? Malik turned to his crew, who had all stopped their working in favor of watching the fight unfold. “Someone, go find Ryou! Bring him up here!”

Malik looked back at Mariku, nodding. “He probably has it. He was in my cabin last night. We’ll get it from him. We’ll get it, and he will be punished for his actions, captain. I promise you.”

Mariku didn't say anything to Malik as they waited. He leaned against the main mast of the ship, watching the doors to the lower deck carefully. The crew member returned a couple of minutes later, his face pale and void of color.

“Ryou is...Ryou isn’t here. He’s not on the ship, captain.”


	5. Chapter 5

…

“Not here,” Mariku repeated. “He’s not here.” His eyes slowly moved from the man in front of him over to Malik. He smiled, but it was an eerie, forced grin, his eyes practically throwing daggers in Malik’s direction. “Map. Gone. Ryou. Gone. Coincidence?”

Malik swallowed hard, looking around the ship to find someone who might speak up for him, but the only person that would was no longer on the ship. “Mariku, Ryou wouldn’t do that. He wouldn’t run off with the map. Where would he go? We’re in the middle of nowhere!” 

Malik stood his ground as Mariku slowly limped toward him, his hand holding the bleeding wound on his thigh. 

“Oh?” Mariku chuckled, shaking his head. “I certainly agree. I know that son of a bitch can’t get anywhere without you. But I also know that we haven’t been alone on this entire trip. Have you forgotten about my little injury, Malik?” By now, Mariku was standing directly in front of Malik, breathing heavy. Then, he abruptly shouted, “Have you forgotten?! Have you forgotten that-that trespasser?!” He scoffed, taking a moment to catch his breath. “It seems my assumptions were correct.” 

Mariku turned around, hunched over as he kept his hand on his wound. His hair blew in the cold wind, the gloomy sky and thick fog becoming more noticeable with Mariku’s terrifying presence. He sucked in a breath and made his announcement. “There’s been a breach! Someone has stolen our map, our pride, and my fucking patience.” He growled to himself, then pointed over at Malik with the hand that wasn’t holding onto his injured leg. “Malik,” He said, “You’re going to fix your mistake. Find Ryou and that map. We’ve already lost precious, precious time…” Mariku quivered, suddenly feeling ill. The mere thought of Bakura sickened him. This entire situation had his name written all over it. Mariku knew Ryou wouldn’t steal anything. 

Bakura was back. Mariku knew for some time that he would be. He knew that Bakura didn’t die or just simply vanish those years ago. He was lurking about, perhaps following him this entire time, all these years, waiting for the precise moment to strike. Mariku knew what Bakura was looking for, so he was confident he wouldn’t get far. What left Mariku stumped was Ryou. Why would Bakura have wanted Ryou? There was missing information, and Mariku was going to find out what it was.

Of course, not now, for his leg was getting ready to give in.

“Turn the ship around, Malik,” Mariku added on to his orders, “Then come see me. We need to have a long discussion.”

Mariku hobbled away, the entire ship still and silent as he limped back into his cabin. The ship’s medics followed him in, already prepared to patch up his wound once again.

Malik stood in silence for a long moment, speechless. This morning certainly wasn’t off to a good start, and he couldn’t help but feel worried. Ryou was gone. For the first time in Malik’s life, he had no idea where Ryou was. He knew that Ryou wouldn’t run away, even if he should have. Some things didn’t add up, but Malik knew he couldn’t think about them right now. He had a ship to navigate. 

He shouted out orders, pointed to crew members and sails, and climbed the stairs to the upper deck to hold his position at the wheel. Maybe he had made a mistake, but Malik was determined now to fix it. For himself, for Mariku, and for Ryou, wherever he was.

…

Ryou, though, wasn’t really that far away.

Bakura’s ship only managed to move a few miles away from Mariku’s, and from what Ryou heard, they were enroute to changing that dangerously close proximity. 

As for Ryou, his hands were still tied, but not so restrictively as they had been when he had awoken. Bakura decided to keep his wrists tied, and found a little too much fun in holding the other end of the rope like a leash, pulling him around the ship wherever he went. Ryou supposed it could be worse, and complaining certainly wasn’t going to get him anywhere, so he decided to stay quiet and listen to what was happening around him.

Bakura was a busy man. Ryou noted that he liked to watch his crew closely, always hovering over them and asking them questions. Mariku never really did that. 

“Perfect. Be sure that the others know. Make sure we get off the grid as soon as possible.” Bakura nodded to the man he was speaking with, and gave the rope he was holding a tug, pulling Ryou back down to the main deck and back into the captain’s cabin.

“You’ve been awfully quiet all morning,” Bakura said, letting the rope drop to the floor as he sauntered over to a cabinet. “No comments, no complaining… Nothing I would have expected from you.” He opened up the cabinet’s door and pulled out a bottle of rum and two glasses, glancing over his shoulder at Ryou with his one green eye. “You’re not planning anything, are you?”

Much to Bakura’s pleasure, Ryou quickly shook his head. “No, of course not,” He had defended, looking confused when Bakura laughed. The latter turned around and set the glasses down on the desk.

“I’m kidding,” He said, opening up the bottle and pouring the liquid into the glasses. “You really need to learn how to calm your nerves. Have you ever had rum before?”

Ryou hesitantly shook his head. “No. I’ve only had a bit of wine. Never a full drink.” He eyed the brown, transparent liquid warily. “I think I’ll pass, though.” There was no way Ryou was going to take a drink from a man like Bakura. Bakura was shady. Shifty. He seemed as though he was always up to something. Ryou didn’t exactly trust him just yet. Why would he?

Bakura chuckled, though, picking up one of the glasses and giving the liquid a swirl. “You’re not a pirate.” He tipped his head back and downed the rum, licking his lips as he set the glass back down. “I knew it the first time I saw you on that island. Who are you? Surely you didn’t join Mariku’s shitty crew of your own will. Look at you. They treat you like fuckin’ garbage.” 

Bakura picked up the other glass and moved closer to Ryou. He grabbed his hands and forced the glass between them. “Drink, then tell me.”

Ryou frowned, switching his gaze from his drink to Bakura. Without a word of complaint, Ryou took a sip of the rum, his face twisting into a puckered mess. He coughed, and Bakura laughed.

“What’s the matter? Can’t hold your liquor?” 

Once Ryou had cleared his throat of the burning sensation, he narrowed his eyes at Bakura, not finding the situation as funny as Bakura might’ve. “No. I guess not.” Annoyed, Ryou looked down at the rum again, not exactly wanting to finish off the rest of it. He wasn’t so sure he would be able to. Bakura seemed to have thought the same thing. 

“Alright. You drank.” Bakura kicked out the chair beside Ryou and pointed to it, taking the glass out of the other’s hands and placing it on the desk. “Tell me how you got here. Tell me how you met Mariku.”

With a sigh, Ryou took the ‘offered’ chair and leaned back. Thinking about how all of this started made him feel embarrassed. It was a silly mistake. That split decision back home had changed his life forever it seemed.

After thinking over his explanation, Ryou decided to share his and Malik’s unexpected adventure. It seemed there was no harm in telling Bakura the truth. After all, Bakura could already tell he wasn’t a pirate. 

Ryou started from the beginning, telling Bakura about the walk on the pier, the sighting of the ship, and the bold move to sneak onto that ship. Bakura laughed, though he seemed impressed in the slightest.

“Looks like you’ve got bigger balls than I thought,” Bakura commented, helping himself to another glass of rum.

Ryou made an awkward sound, meaning for it to be some kind of chuckle. “Yeah… I guess. It was my idea to stay on the ship. I mean, it was either stay on the ship and try to be one of the crew, or get kicked off and go back home.”

“Do you miss it?”

Ryou blinked, looking up at Bakura who was now leaning over the desk. “Miss what?”

Bakura snorted. “Your home, idiot. Do you miss it?”

Ryou frowned. To his surprise, he actually had to think about it. His answer surprised him, too.  
“No. I don’t.” 

Even though his current situation may not have seemed as good as he had envisioned it to be, Ryou had experienced more in these weeks than he had in his entire life. Malik was gone, but that didn’t mean Ryou had nothing left. He had a whole new adventure ahead of him, especially now that Bakura was the one with the map, and Ryou would be the one helping him.

“Good,” Bakura replied, smirking. “You’d be absolutely miserable if you did. I don’t see that in you.” He moved behind his desk to pick up the other chair, setting it down across from Ryou. When he took a seat, their knees were nearly touching. “I see pirate in you. You were made for this life.” Bakura pursed his lips and shrugged. “Eh, maybe you didn’t get the physical capabilities, but what you _do_ have is more important.” He leaned forward and poked his index finger in the middle of Ryou’s forehead. “What you have is up here. You’ve got strategy. You’ve got knowledge. Hell, I’d even say you’ve got wisdom in there. You know your shit, Ryou.” Bakura leaned back into his chair again. “I respect that.”

Ryou looked at Bakura, uncertain about his words. “Really..? You don’t catch me as someone who respects knowledge.”

“Yeah? What do I look like to you then?”

Ryou shrugged. It must have been the conversation that helped Ryou become more comfortable talking to Bakura, for he didn’t feel the need to filter his answer. “You strike me as an admirer of power.” Ryou eyed the rings on Bakura’s fingers. “An admirer of riches, maybe.”

Just as Ryou started to regret what he said, for Bakura hadn’t responded right away, Bakura burst out in laughter, seeming to be genuinely amused. He wiped an imaginary tear from his eye.

“You read well.” Bakura held his hands out in front of him, proving Ryou right and admiring the rings on his fingers. “I suppose you’re right, then. Nothing wrong with reaping the fruits of your labor. Nothing wrong with wanting more, either.” He chuckled again as he lowered his hands. “I meant what I said, though.” 

Bakura stood and walked over to Ryou’s side, bending down to his seated level. He put an arm around the other’s shoulders, bringing his face close to Ryou's ear. “I can turn you into something great,” he whispered, the sour scent of alcohol tickling Ryou’s nose. “I can help you become powerful. You’ll make men like Mariku quiver at your feet. Fools like Malik will wish they've never wronged you.” 

Ryou could feel Bakura’s lips pull themselves into a grin.

“All you have to do is ask.”

Then, before Ryou could reply or question, Bakura moved back to his chair and sat down. He pulled out the map he kept in his pocket and handed it over to Ryou. 

It was as if none of that had happened. As if those words were never said.

“Let’s put you to work, shall we?” 

Ryou blinked in confusion, but reached his roped hands out to take the map. He nodded hesitantly. “Yeah.. Okay.”

Ryou opened up the folded paper and took a look at the words and drawings. He tilted his head, his nose wrinkling in the slightest as he quickly determined this would not be a simple task. “These words,” he said, “I don't recognize them. They're written on the landforms, but they don't look like names of places.”

“Correct!” Bakura beamed. “That's how I knew it was a riddle. You see, I watched this very map go into hiding. Mariku nearly stole it from right under my nose.”

Ryou frowned at that. Bakura seemed to know a lot about Mariku that didn't quite register. “How do you know him?” He then asked. “Mariku. You talk about him… often.”

Bakura’s good mood seemed to fade, and Ryou felt as though he had watched a huge stone wall build up in front of him. That was something Bakura did a lot, he noticed. This time it was a defense, but the other times were just mood swings. At least, Ryou hoped it was as simple as mood swings. Frankly, Ryou couldn’t tell Bakura’s emotions the entire morning he’d been with him. They were always changing, and Ryou wondered if the other did that on purpose.

“He wronged me,” Bakura replied with a grunt. “He made the biggest mistake of his life and I’m going to make sure that piece of shit pays for it.” The captain’s frown curled into the signature smirk that Ryou was starting to get used to seeing. “You know that saying ‘an eye for an eye?’” Bakura slid his tongue along his bottom lip, as if the thought excited him. “Yeah. That’s what I want.”

Ryou furrowed his brow, his head tilting to the side in curiosity. “You mean... ” Ryou’s eyes seemed to naturally draw their attention to the snake design on Bakura’s eyepatch. “You mean that literally, then...”

Bakura chuckled once again, though this one sounded much different than the somewhat pleasant ones before. No, this one was far from pleasant and was closer to being an audible poison. The way the sound faded gave Ryou chills.

“You don’t know the half of what I mean, Ryou. And I’m not going to explain myself today.”

Bakura stood up then and brought his chair back behind his desk. “For now, I want you to get started on your task. The sooner you figure out that map, the closer I get to victory.” Bakura stood in front of Ryou again and produced one of his many knives from his belt. It was small, yet shiny and intimidating. Without an explanation beforehand, Bakura grabbed Ryou’s hands and cut the rope that held them together.

“You’ll need your hands to write things down. There’s paper in my desk.”

Ryou rubbed his red, irritated skin as he watched Bakura walk away. He jumped when Bakura turned around again.

“Though, try not to get _too_ comfortable. You still have much to learn.”

With that, Ryou watched the door swing open and Bakura exited the cabin. There was an eerie silence in the room. The only things Ryou could hear were the distant shouts of crew members and the wood of the ship creaking as it rocked with the waves. It was… peaceful. Ryou had almost forgotten what feeling relaxed (at least somewhat relaxed) was like. After he rubbed the circulation back into his hands, he decided to take a closer look at the map. His ‘task’ as Bakura had called it.

Bakura seemed to have known that the names on the landforms were not actually names at all. The first thought that came to Ryou’s mind was an anagram. Scrambling letters to hide words was rather popular when it came to riddles, so Ryou started with that. He wrote down all the possible words that could be made with the group of letters. The first group of letters didn’t seem to work very well, for the words that were made seemed to have nothing to do with directions or treasure.

However, after deciphering the other groups of words, he found some in common.

“‘Right, left, corner, bottom, top…’” Ryou murmured to himself, tilting his head to the side as he started to make sense of the words. “Aha! They’re saying to fold up the paper a certain way.” 

Ryou then got to work. He folded the corners to their designated spots, followed the other directions, but didn’t seem too happy with the final product. He squinted and turned the paper to try and make sense of it, but the drawings just seemed to overlap each other. That couldn’t possibly be a very useful map.

Sighing in defeat, Ryou set the paper down. It had taken him awhile to write the words and fold the paper, and now he felt like he was back where he started. Of course, he wasn’t really expecting this to be easy. 

After allowing himself a break, Ryou picked up the paper again. He was about to unfold it and start again, but as he flipped it over to do so, he sucked in a breath. He dropped the paper onto the desk in shock.

While the side Ryou had been looking at was gibberish and nonsense shapes, the other side had turned into something very recognizable.

A snake.

An exact replica of the one on Bakura’s eyepatch.

… 

Ryou stared at the paper before him, frowning. Was there a connection between this map and Bakura’s attire? The snake was everywhere on this ship. On the flag, on the swords, on Bakura’s clothes… 

What did it mean?

Ryou set the paper down as his mind then wandered to other things. Specifically what Bakura had told him. It sounded secretive. Intense, even. Come to think of it, Bakura himself was kind of intense. Even when he wasn’t tending to his captain duties he always had some kind of agenda. Whenever Ryou spoke with him it was like Bakura had planned out the conversation, hoping to get something out of it. And maybe he did. Ryou realized then that he had explained pretty much his entire life to Bakura without so much as batting an eye. Not that he cared, but it was still surprising to think about spilling your life story to a complete stranger. 

Ryou sighed deeply and shook his head. He would have to get used to Bakura’s strange personality if he was going to be traveling with him on the long term. For now, though, Ryou would just have to try and make sense of the image on the map. As he examined the folds and patterns again, there was a knock on the door. By the time Ryou turned to see who it was, Bakura was standing right behind him.

“Well? Have you found anything yet?” He asked, peering over Ryou’s shoulder to catch a glimpse of the map on the table.

“Actually, yeah.” Ryou turned back in his chair and flipped the map over, showing Bakura the image of the snake on the back. “It’s like the one on all of your stuff. Do you know what it means?” 

Bakura was quiet for a moment. He slowly stepped around to Ryou’s side and bent over to get a closer look. His lips curled upward into a grin, and finally he nodded his head. “Oh yes. I know what this means.” Bakura grabbed the map and walked over to the cabinet he had taken the rum out of earlier. “It means that I’m right. And it means that you, my friend, are far more valuable than I previously thought.”

Ryou wasn't so sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. He shifted in the chair, watching Bakura out of curiosity. “You knew the map was supposed to look like that?”

Bakura pulled out a wooden box and brought it over to his desk, setting it down in front of Ryou. The lid had a snake on it, too. It was hand carved, with intricate details. “Not necessarily,” Bakura replied to Ryou's question then as he placed his hands on the lid of the box. Carefully, he lifted the lid and placed it off to the side. “But I had hoped that it would be exactly this.”

Ryou watched Bakura’s hands as he pulled out two pieces of paper, sliding the two over to Ryou, and placing the map next to them. “They all make the symbol,” Bakura explained. “But it's still a map. I just need you to solve it. Solve the second piece of the puzzle.”

Ryou looked down at the papers before him, noting that indeed they all held the same image of the snake. He then flipped them over, having recalled that the lines on the one he had folded were random, and thought maybe it would connect with the others somehow. He looked at them, trying to make sense of all of the random folds and lines. 

“I don't…” Ryou frowned, tilting his head from side to side as he tried to view them from different angles. He shook his head. “I can't make sense of it. It's just a bunch of random lines.”

Bakura, impatient now, loudly pulled out his chair and took a seat, leaning forward on the desk with his hands folded. “Well, why don’t you just try a little harder. I know there’s something there, Ryou. You just have to find it.” Bakura overannciated his words, and Ryou received the message it gave.

He licked his lips and looked back down at the papers before him. Ryou flipped them over and studied the images of the snakes again. At first glance they all looked the same, but, upon further inspection, he found that there was a difference in the eyes. One snake had both eyes visible, the other had one eye visible, and the third didn’t seem to have eyes. It was a small detail, but Ryou was sure it would lead him somewhere. Perhaps they were meant to go in a certain order. How hard could it be if there were only three images? Three images meant 10 possible combinations, if Ryou’s math was correct. So finding the right one shouldn’t take too long.

Ryou felt Bakura’s eyes on him as he started to rearrange the snakes, starting with the orders he would have thought they would be in according to their eye design. He moved the snakes, then flipped the papers over to see if the lines made any sense. It didn’t work the first two times, and Ryou could tell Bakura was getting irritated. He had to understand, though, that this wasn’t as easy as Ryou would have thought it would be. Tension and anger radiated off of Bakura, but Ryou remained focused on what he was doing. He didn’t want to make the mistake of looking Bakura in the eye.

The next try, he arranged the snakes with the one with no eyes at the beginning, the snake with one eye in the middle, and the snake with both eyes at the end. As he flipped them over, it seemed he had done something right. Just as he flipped the last one over, Bakura’s hand slammed down on the table, causing Ryou to jump in his seat.

“That’s it!” He shouted, and Ryou frowned. “This is it! It’s the map!”

“Really?” Ryou tilted his head to the side. “I don’t see it.”

Bakura quickly got out of his chair and went over to Ryou, yanking him up and pulling him to the other side. 

Ryou saw it right away.

He was speechless, honestly. It was hard to believe that any other possible order didn’t make any sense except this one, and even upside down it looked like gibberish. Now, though, it was clearly a map. The folds made sense, the lines made sense, and there were even little words on what looked to be landforms. 

“So… You know what this means?” Ryou asked. He had no idea where any of these places were.

Bakura put his arm around Ryou’s shoulders, pulling him uncomfortably close. “Oh, Ryou. I know exactly what all of this means.” He chuckled, and Ryou could feel Bakura’s body shake as he did. “It means you’re staying with me. It means you’ve led us closer to ultimate power. It means... “ Bakura shuddered in excitement, practically moaning his next sentence. “I’ve won.”

The door to the captain’s cabin burst open, and out came Bakura, his arm still firmly draped over Ryou’s shoulders in a possessive way. 

“Gentlemen!” Bakura shouted, gaining the attention of his crew immediately. “I have some _outstanding_ news!” He dragged Ryou out to the center of the ship, then placed his hands on both of Ryou’s shoulders, planting him in place.

“Our new member has proven himself worthy of joining our crew! I just witnessed the works of a true genius.” Bakura smirked. “All of you, would you please welcome Ryou to our ship!”

Ryou wasn’t exactly comfortable with the eyes of the entire ship staring at him, and he felt his stomach knot as Bakura made the announcement. He was honestly afraid it was code for ‘we don’t need him anymore so let’s kill him’, but, luckily, Ryou’s intuition seemed to be wrong.

Immediately after Bakura gave the order, the entire crew just… _cheered._ Ryou looked at some of the faces around himself and found that some of them genuinely looked _excited._ He’d never seen any kind of pirate look excited, except for maybe Mariku’s creepy grins and twitches, and Bakura’s scary laughter and close physical contact. 

The crew, the entire ship, clapped for him. 

For Ryou.

Ryou had done a good thing, and he was getting praised for it.

Ryou didn’t know when he started to smile, but he did. When the cheers and applause calmed, Bakura gave Ryou’s shoulders a squeeze.

“Now, we will be having a special dinner in Ryou’s honour. Why, you ask? Well, because Ryou has discovered the map to victory! A map that will guide us to a place holding something even greater than that fabled fountain of youth.” Bakura pretended to clear his throat. “I will provide more detail come dinnertime. For now, we set sail North!”

The entire crew immediately got back to work, and Ryou wondered how long it took to discipline them to do that. 

“Ryou,” Bakura said, “Rest easy. You’ll learn more later.”

And that was exactly what Ryou did. He found that he was quite tired, and had ended up napping. When he awoke, he wasn’t so comfortable with that fact. Ryou felt as though he needed to be on guard at all times while on Bakura’s ship, and waking up from a nap made him nervous. Perhaps it was because his first awakening here wasn’t exactly a peaceful one. 

Ryou rubbed his eyes and looked over at Bakura’s desk. The map still lay there, and Ryou almost felt as though none of this was real. Did he really make that ‘discovery’? Did the entire ship really cheer for him? 

The thought made him smile again. Yes. They had. And Ryou had solved an important puzzle.

He jumped, though, when there was a knock on the door. Again, Ryou reminded himself to stop relaxing like that.

Bakura opened the door, and he greeted the other with a grin. Ryou really wished he hadn’t. It wasn’t a good look for Bakura’s dirty, scarred face. “You’re awake! Come now, you’ve got a dinner to attend, eh?”

Yes! Ryou had forgotten about that! He stood from the bed, nearly losing his balance as Bakura grabbed hold of his arm and pulled him out. As much as Ryou wanted to protest and insist he walk on his own, he didn’t. He still didn’t exactly trust Bakura, and he wouldn’t want to accidentally anger what little temper he seemed to have.

“Are you excited?” Bakura asked.

“Ah.. Yeah. I am, I think. I’ve never had a dinner in my honour before.”

“Excellent. I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.”

As they approached the dining hall, Ryou already heard the sound of laughter and shouting, and for some reason he became nervous. His experience with dining halls and crew members wasn’t very positive. Bakura seemed to pick up on Ryou’s tension, and eased his hold on Ryou’s arm. 

“Don’t be alarmed.” That was all Bakura said before he opened up the door and shoved Ryou in front.

Ryou definitely felt his heart stop in that moment, for all of the voices stopped and all eyes were on him once again. It was silent for a few seconds, but suddenly Ryou’s ears were filled with shouts and cheers, just as they were earlier. His startled expression slowly transformed into an embarrassed smile. 

Bakura came up from behind him and guided Ryou to his seat. He was at the front of the table, right next to Bakura’s seat.

Bakura sat Ryou down, and by then the cheering had quieted down. Ryou looked over the table, his eyes widening at the plentiful portions and plates full of food. Well, he thought, this was much better than the soup on Mariku’s ship.

Ryou’s attention was pulled from the food to the space next to him as Bakura clinked his fork against his cup. The hall was silent again, and everyone was focused on Bakura. The captain.

“Men, we’ve come a long way. Years we have searched that island for the final piece of the map, and now we’ve got it. We’ve nearly completed the entire puzzle, and all thanks to one man.” Bakura gestured over to Ryou. “Even though he was a pain in the ass to get, we’ve got him. The genius of the ship. The only one that can lead us to Anguis de Aeterna Vita. Sister to the Fountain of Youth. The reason for all of our traveling, scheming, and waiting. And now, my faithful crew, we are closer than we’ve ever been to finding her.” Bakura raised his cup, and the crew did the same. Ryou followed suit as well. “To Ryou. For allowing us this opportunity so soon.”

Ryou blinked, having not expected to be toasted to, and he felt himself grow warm when the men around him shouted ‘to Ryou!’ in unison. He watched as they all, even Bakura, took a sip of their drinks. He looked down at his cup, noticing that it was rum, and smiled to himself. He confidently gulped down a large amount and managed not to choke this time. His eyes squeezed shut as he felt the heat travel down his throat and spread throughout his body. When he opened them, the crew had started eating, and Bakura was looking at him from his now seated position.

“I knew you had potential,” He said, looking down at his food then. “Eat now. You may have solved a few puzzles, but you’re going to have to do more than that to be successful. You’re in for an early morning.”

Ryou nodded in response. He wasn’t sure what he was going to be doing so early, but he did know that he was hungry, and was no stranger to the food laid out before him. He thought about Bakura’s little speech as he filled his mouth with potatoes.

_“Anguis de Aeterna Vita”_

It didn’t hit Ryou until after dinner. He had gone back to the captain’s cabin and lay on the cot Bakura let him sleep on. He was just about to fall asleep, but his eyes snapped open.

_“Anguis de Aeterna Vita”_

_“Snake of Eternal Life”_


	6. Chapter 6

… 

Malik waited as long as he could before meeting with Mariku. There was a heavy weight in his stomach that the rocking of the ship only made worse. As much as he had gotten to trust Mariku during this trip, Malik was still terrified of him. Even if Mariku was injured. Though, Malik knew he couldn’t avoid his problems forever, so when it seemed as though the ship was on the right course and under control, Malik set to make his way to Mariku’s cabin. The closer he got, the more ill he felt, until his knuckles tapped the wood of the door. He cleared his throat before he entered.

“Mariku? The ship is back on course.” Malik peered into the room, keeping his eyes on the ground. There was a beat of silence before Mariku replied.

“Congratulations on doing your job,” he deadpanned.

“Captain, I-”  
Malik cut himself off when he looked at Mariku, finding him glaring back.

“I didn’t tell you to come here to apologize. I need your help.”

Malik gave a nod, biting his tongue to keep himself from talking again. When Mariku saw that Malik had nothing more to say, he continued on.

“I let that bastard slip away, and I won’t do it again. He’s the cause for my injury, the cause of my anguish, and the cause for the chaos on this ship. None of this would have happened if you hadn’t showed up.” Mariku’s words made Malik bristle in the slightest. “However, I suppose I have to give you some credit.” 

Malik frowned. “Credit?”

“Yes. If you hadn’t come along, we wouldn’t be as close to my lifelong discovery than we are now. In fact, I’m closer to my long lost enemy than I ever was before, and I owe it all to you.” Mariku shifted, wincing in the slightest as he massaged the area around his wound. “So, I need your help. Bakura is going down, and you’re just the man to do it.”

Malik found himself watching Mariku’s fingers move around his bloodied leg, almost as if he were lost in thought, but he had heard every word Mariku had said. He was grateful he wasn’t being shout at, but something seemed… off. Mariku was too in control of his emotions to be considered in a good mood. “Of course, captain. I’ll help you, but are you sure? I mean, after all that happened, I just want to make sure you know what you’re doing.”  
Malik wasn’t sure how to feel when Mariku began to chuckle. He was never sure if it was a good sign or not. The sound made him uneasy.

“Oh, I know what I’m doing. I know exactly what I’m doing. And I know exactly what you’re going to do as well.” Mariku grinned, his eyes holding contact with Malik’s. “You’re going to do my bidding. You’re going to give me my revenge. You’re going to kill Bakura.”

“I’m going to _what?”_ Malik’s eyes widened. “I-I can’t do that! I’m not going to kill someone for you!” 

“Oh? Can’t you?” Mariku narrowed his eyes, his grin immediately falling into a scowl. “After everything you’ve done, the destruction and the chaos you’ve caused, you can’t even perform a simple task?” He scoffed. “No. You _will_ kill him, and if it turns out your little friend is in cohorts with that bastard, you’ll kill him, too. What other choice do you have, Malik? It’s either them, or you.”

Malik opened his mouth to argue, but his breath got caught in his throat. _Kill_ Ryou? He really couldn’t do that! What choice did he have, though? Malik knew that there was no way Ryou was involved in any of this. If Ryou were to get hurt, or worse, by anyone else, Malik would never forgive himself. He already couldn’t forgive himself for not paying enough attention.  
Malik stared at Mariku, pressing his lips into a thin line as he closed his eyes and breathed in deep. He let out his breath all at once and nodded. “Fine,” He said, “I’ll do it. I’ll kill him. And Ryou. Just... “ Malik sighed once again. “Just tell me what to do. I’ll do it.”

While Malik knew he had no other choice but to agree with Mariku’s terms, he also knew that Mariku was injured. Wherever they found Ryou, Malik would have an advantage. Even though he despised the idea of killing someone in cold blood, he decided that if Bakura was the cause for Ryou’s disappearance, then maybe killing him won’t be too difficult, and Ryou can be brought back to safety. Maybe they could even get out of this long, well overdue adventure. 

Mariku smirked at Malik and nodded, leaning back and closing his eyes. “Good. That’s what I thought. You owe me, Malik. Remember that.” The captain raised his hand and pointed to the door. “Now leave. Navigate the ship. Don’t stop until you catch up to that piece of shit.”

Malik nodded and quietly left the captain’s cabin. When he walked outside, he looked about the ship, relieved that the crew was busy working and seemingly not focused on what was his biggest, most embarrassing mistake yet. He walked up to the upper deck and stood near the wheel of the ship, watching the clouds in the sky. “Ryou,” he murmured to himself, “You better not be dead. And you better be on that stupid ship..” He sighed once more, looking out over his crew to make sure the ship remained steady and on its task. 

… 

“Captain! Captain!” A crewman ran to the upper deck, stumbling in front of Bakura. “Captain it-That other ship-it’s following us. Just as you said it would.”  
Bakura growled, annoyed that his conversation with his new trusted ‘partner’ was being interrupted, and turned around to face the crewman. “What? What is it now?”  
The young man bit his lip, replying with an extended arm pointed outward at the horizon. In the distance, far in the distance, the shadow of a ship could be seen. Bakura narrowed his eyes and yanked a monoscope from his pocket to get a closer look. His jaw tensed, “Shit. That was faster than I expected.” He shoved the contraption into the crewman’s arms. “Don’t move, yet. I need to think.” Bakura turned back to his first concentration, which was a conversation with Ryou. He stared at the other a moment, tapping his index finger against his chin as he began to formulate a plan on top of his plan. 

“Ryou,” He said, “Are you any good at fighting?”

“Fighting?” Ryou frowned. “Not particularly, no.”

Bakura hummed, then looked back out at the ship in the distance. “Hm. Fair enough. I suppose I’ll have to teach you a few things.” He turned back to the crewman, smirking. “Steer the ship East. We’ll catch them in a circle. When we get closer, I’ll take control.” The young man nodded his head and ran off, heading to the prow of the ship to inform the navigator. Bakura looked at Ryou again, chuckling. “I’ve got a plan, and I think you’ll find you’re going to like it.”

…

About a day and a half passed since Malik caught sight of the ship in front of them. It always seemed that distances were much shorter than they actually were, but the passing time proved that illusion wrong. Malik wanted to keep a bit of distance so that he didn’t follow the enemy ship exactly, but enough to get them close enough for confrontation. Any hour now, and they would be near enough for just that. Malik could see the sails, the masts, and even faint silhouettes of the people on the ship, but still the distance between them was driving him crazy. He wanted to see Ryou now! He wanted to make sure his friend was okay, and do the job he neglected: Keeping Ryou safe. Malik had failed miserably at that one promise, and he hadn’t let himself forget it. Perhaps it was shallow of him to regret his actions after something bad happened, for Malik knew his mindset wouldn’t have changed if Ryou were still on the ship. What did that say about him then? Had he really changed that much? Malik shook his head to rid himself of those thoughts, deciding it was more important to focus on the task at hand which was retrieving Ryou. Malik stepped down from the prow and onto the main deck, inspecting his crew and reminding them to prepare for any possible battle. 

The closer they got to Bakura’s ship, the scarier it looked. It seemed as though the sails were torn, the wood was warped and rotted, and there was an illusion of fog following the ship. It looked haunted, but when Malik blinked his eyes a few times, the illusion was gone. The ship looked normal and was making a sharp turn to the right.

A sharp turn to the right?

Malik’s eyes widened and he ran back to the prow, shouting at his crew, “Anchor! Anchor! Anchor now!” Malik reached the wheel and shoved the man holding his place out of the way. He spun it right as fast as he could, and he kept his eyes on the enemy ship.

Malik should have seen it coming. His own ship was headed straight, but Bakura’s was veered East. The sudden sharp turn was meant to catch them in a ‘T’, trapping Mariku’s ship at a dead end. Well, not if Malik could help it. He was determined not to make any more mistakes than he already had. 

And it seemed that he was successful this time. Malik had shouted at the right time, and his skills at the wheel brought their ship perfectly paralleled with Bakura’s. The two ships ended up side by side, and there was a thick tension in the air. No sound was heard except the rocking wood and the waves splashing against the side of the two massive ships. Malik let out a shaky breath, and his hands dropped from the wheel.  
He didn’t need to retrieve Mariku, for it seemed the sudden movement of the ship had alerted him of Bakura’s arrival. Mariku burst open the door and looked out at his crew, who were now all looking at him, their hands resting over their blades and swords, daggers and cutlasses. Malik hurried down onto the main deck and stood next to Mariku, thinking he might need help, but it seemed that Mariku was fine enough with his fancy golden cane. He didn’t even look injured anymore with clean pants and a fresh, smug expression on his face. Malik wondered what was going to happen, who was going to make the first move. Mariku ended up answering his unasked question, though, when he shouted Bakura’s name. Or rather, a nickname.

“Oi! Bastard! Come over and look me in the eyes!”

There was silence for a moment, until a long plank of wood emerged from the opposing ship and was pushed over to meet Mariku’s. Bakura emerged, and Malik shivered.

He was almost as intimidating as Mariku was the first time Malik saw him. Bakura’s entire ensemble was black, with the tiniest hint of red lining on his coat. An eyepatch covered half of his face, and the man’s grin wrinkled on the same side from the pressure of the leather. The closer he got to their ship, the more Malik could hear the metal clanking within Bakura’s coat. A few steps closer, and Malik’s attention was immediately torn away by a second head of white hair.

Ryou!

Malik’s mouth turned upward into a smile, but the more Malik looked at Ryou the more his smile faded. He looked… very different. Almost like a shorter version of Bakura. His clothing was different, all black, and he had a silver-handled cutlass resting at his waist. His face was hardened and certainly not the soft, approachable expression he usually wore. At least, that was how Malik had remembered him. Malik heard Mariku chuckle at the sight of him, and his heart began to jump, beating much faster than it would out of happiness. This was all new, and Malik wasn’t sure how it would all play out.

“Long time no see, Mariku,” Bakura said, stopping at the edge of the wooden plank and looking out at the entirety of Mariku’s ship. “Looks the same since I left.” Ryou was stopped behind him.

Mariku narrowed his eyes and shifted his weight, leaning himself more onto his cane. “I assure you it is much different. Come down from there and talk to me eye to eye.” He grinned. “I never got to see the results of my work afterall.” He gained more satisfaction upon seeing Bakura’s lip curl, but the other abided anyway and jumped off the plank and onto the main deck, Ryou following behind him.

It was quiet again, and Bakura and Ryou’s boots thudded one after the other as they approached Mariku and Malik. They stood a few feet away, mirroring their rivals and standing side by side. If it weren’t for Bakura’s eyepatch, Malik was sure they would look exactly the same. 

Malik couldn’t take it anymore. “Ryou!” He called, “Are you okay?”

Bakura laughed, shaking his head when it died down. “Are you blind?” Bakura placed a hand on Ryou’s shoulder. “He’s here, isn’t he? All in one piece, eh? You don’t need to waste your breath pretending to worry about him. I can assure you he’s in good hands.” He scoffed. “Much better hands than he used to be in, I’m sure.” Malik frowned as Bakura’s finger traced beneath Ryou’s eye, where there was a slight shadow from the black eye that was on its last stage of healing. Ryou didn’t even flinch. But Malik did.  
He scowled and took a step forward. “Stop playing these games with us. What’s your business here? And give Ryou back!”

Bakura merely chuckled, flashing to what Malik would describe as a disgusting, ugly grin. “Now, now, that’s no way to speak to a potential business partner. Step aside,” Bakura approached slowly, stopping directly in front of Mariku. They stared each other down, both men refusing to break eye contact. 

“Never thought I’d see you face to face again,” Mariku narrowed his eyes in the slightest, examining Bakura. “How’d you do it?”

Bakura chuckled quietly, shaking his head. “Wouldn’t you like to know.” He clicked his tongue. “But I’m afraid that’s a story for another day. I’m here to talk business with you, not to play catch up.”

Malik’s gaze kept switching from Ryou to the two men beside himself, unsure of how to approach the situation. He wanted so badly to run over to Ryou and hug him, even give him a well deserved apology, but Malik gave Mariku his word. He said he would help him, and leaving his side while the enemy was so close was certainly a big mistake. When Malik’s eyes moved back to Ryou, the latter was staring back at him. His gaze was hard, as if Ryou were arguing with Malik through his eyes, not even needing to speak a word because it was all written on his face. Malik felt a pit in his stomach, but he knew, to some extent he deserved it.

“I’m making a proposition I think you’ll find you can’t refuse,” Bakura continued, turning to the side and gesturing for Ryou to come closer. “I’m sure you’ve noticed, but I took the liberty of putting that silly piece of paper you had to good use. Show them.”

Ryou took out a folded square from his coat, and proceeded with unfolding it, revealing an intricate map. Bakura took it out of Ryou’s hands and held it out for Mariku. Though, Mariku seemed to be sure to keep his distance.

“I think you know what this is, my dear friend,” Bakura said, beaming with confidence. “Thought you had it all figured out, did you?”

Malik’s jaw dropped, and he immediately looked over at Mariku to find that he shared a similar expression, but it quickly turned into anger. “What’s the meaning of this? You stole my map to make this gibberish? Tch, what do you want? A reward?”

Bakura shook his head. “No, that won’t be necessary. I’ve already given the praise where it was due.” He gestured to Ryou with his hand. “I just wanted to rub it in your face. After all, you were the one to introduce it to me. I think it’s quite interesting how I ended up with the final product while you were busy chasing my tail.” He snickered. “Pathetic, really.”

“Just state your business!” Mariku shouted, unsheathing a blade from his belt and pointing it at Bakura. “My patience is drawing thin. Dangerously thin. Get on with it. What’s your proposition?”

Bakura put his hands up in the air, showing his defenses were lowered. “Why, old friend, I just want to play a game with you. A… hide and go seek of sorts.”

Mariku’s guard let down in the slightest, lowering his arm a few inches. “A game.” He scoffed. “Stupid. I’m not doing anything with you. I’m taking that map right before I let you rot in hell where you belong.”

“Ouch! That’s certainly not the type of thing I wanted to hear from my oldest companion.” Bakura nudged Ryou, and the latter set to pulling another piece of folded paper out of his pocket. “But, before you go jumping to conclusions, you should see my intentions.”

Ryou held out the paper and Bakura placed them next to each other. “See? It’s the same. Two of the same map. Both lead to the answer. The treasure. The Snake.”

This grabbed Mariku’s attention, and his weapon was immediately lowered. He squinted as he studied the maps, making sure they were as Bakura said; Exactly the same. “Why… Why did you do this?” He asked, eyes shifting up to look Bakura in the eye. “Why not leave me behind and keep it to yourself?”

Bakura laughed. “Because that isn’t any fun. Plus, I haven’t seen you in so long, I had to make sure you didn’t think I was dead.” He paused. “You didn’t think I was dead, did you?”

Mariku narrowed his eyes, grinding his teeth as he glared at Bakura, trying to process and add unknown pieces to an incomplete puzzle. “No,” he said finally. “That would be too good to be true.”

Bakura, seemingly satisfied with that answer, took the second map from Ryou’s hands and lined it up with the other. “Excellent. Allow me to explain. But first-” Bakura pointed to Mariku’s leg that seemed to have started bleeding through the newer bandages. “Perhaps we should sit down. I wouldn’t want you falling over in the midst of my demonstration.” Mariku grumbled in response, but still turned around, beginning to walk to his cabin. “Stay here, Malik,” he said, turning over his shoulder to glance at him. “Keep an eye on the ship. Don’t let him distract you.” With that, Bakura followed Mariku, and the deck was silent once again.

Malik slowly turned his head, finding a pair of green eyes watching him. He scratched the back of his head, looking away from Ryou. “Ryou, I-”

“Save it.”

“What?”

Ryou crossed his arms and glowered. “I said ‘save it.’ I don’t want to hear any apology from you. Ever. Words can’t fix what you’ve done. Words can’t even describe how I feel about you right now. Even if they could, I doubt you’d want to hear them. So just save your breath.”

Malik was speechless, finding that he wasn’t sure how to respond, or if he even should. He’d already made countless mistakes and didn’t need yet another on the list. He hesitated, lowering his voice considerably in hopes it would help him in some way. “Are you okay, at least? You look… different. Did he do something to you?”

Ryou snorted, rolling his eyes. “No, Malik. He didn’t do anything.” His nibbled his lip, looking out at the ocean. “In fact, I left. I wanted to go with him.” 

Malik blinked in surprise. He hadn’t expected Ryou to have done something like that. In fact, didn’t they promise to stay by each other’s side? Perhaps Malik broke that first, but that didn’t mean it didn’t hurt to hear that Ryou _decided_ to leave. Secretly, nonetheless. “I see,” He said, still looking at Ryou even if the other wasn’t looking back. “Well, I guess that’s understandable. I know you said you didn’t want to hear it, but I’m sorry. I really am. For everything.”

Malik’s face slowly fell into a frown the longer the moment went without a response. Eventually Ryou turned around to look elsewhere, and Malik sighed. He supposed he deserved this kind of treatment, but he couldn’t help but feel as if Ryou were being unreasonable in some way. It all seemed so off. The night they talked… Malik didn’t even remember what happened. It all seemed so long ago, but it was only a few days. How could he have forgotten a few days ago so quickly? Unable to take staring at the back of Ryou’s head, Malik turned around as well and began to pace. The time passed very slowly, but eventually Malik turned in the direction of the captain’s cabin when he heard the door finally squeak open. The entire ship’s attention was once again on Mariku and Bakura, and Malik noticed they both shared a similar creepy grin. 

“Oi! Listen up!” Mariku shouted, holding out a sheet of paper. “This is a contract. A word by word document that holds the rules of our upcoming expedition. We have been offered a very interesting proposition.” Mariku held up another paper, this one being the map from earlier. “We’re going to have a… Friendly competition.” There was mumbling and grumbling, the crew expressing their uncertainty all at once. “Hold on now,” Mariku called out again to redirect their attention. “Don’t be like that. Bakura certainly is still the enemy. In fact, I think the proper term for our situation would be a rivalry; Two enemies seeking out the same thing.” He paused. “We’re going to search for The Snake, the reason behind all our hard work, dedication, and fighting. But, most importantly-”

“Winner takes all!” Bakura interrupted, shouting his excitement across to Mariku’s crew. They seemed to share this excitement, and they all cheered. All, but one.

Malik glanced over at Ryou, eyeing him as the latter exchanged a nod with Bakura. Malik couldn’t ignore it. The crew was walking closer to Mariku, searching for answers to questions and waiting to receive orders. Malik took this opportunity to approach Ryou, grabbing his arm and pulling him aside.

“What is up with you?” He demanded, his facial expression showing more concern than anger. “You’re acting strange, Ryou, and I don’t think you should stay with that-” Malik looked over his shoulder to glance at Bakura, shuddering at the sight of him. “That _fiend._ He’s done something to you Ryou! You can’t stay with him. I won’t let you.”

Ryou’s eyes narrowed and he yanked his arm out of Malik’s hand, pulling out a small dagger from his belt and pointing it at Malik. _“Don’t_ touch me,” He hissed, Malik backing off immediately. “I don’t know who you think you are thinking you can just act as though nothing happened. As if you hadn’t insulted me and belittled me just days ago.”

Ryou looked up when he noticed Bakura approaching them. He put his knife away and glared at Malik again. “I did what you told me, Malik.” He turned to the side, preparing to follow behind Bakura as he passed. “I grew up.”

Malik watched him walk away, his memory suddenly coming back to him. That night Ryou disappeared, Malik had yelled at him. He never would have thought that Ryou would have taken their argument so personally. In fact, Malik was now realizing how often he failed to think. All he knew now, was that Mariku was right. Ryou was with Bakura, and something was going to have to be done about it.

…

Ryou stood at the edge of the ship, watching the neighboring barge sail in a different direction, moving further and further away. He stared longingly, only to correct himself and squint his eyes into a glare. Yet again, he wasn’t sure how he felt about Malik. Yes, he was incredibly angry and wanted something done to relieve his grudge, but a smaller, more insistent side of him still missed Malik. Seeing him was comforting and familiar, reminding Ryou of who he was before all of the fighting and danger began; A poor, yet content young man. Ryou didn’t need anything else except his friendship with Malik, but now that that was gone, who was he? He was just about to turn around from the scenery when Bakura came up from behind, taking the spot next to Ryou to lean over the edge. He looked out at the scenery, eyeing Mariku’s ship just as Ryou had been. 

“Don’t think like that,” Bakura commented. “It’ll hold you back.” 

Ryou scoffed. “Yeah? And how do you know what it is I’m thinking?” He frowned when Bakura chuckled, their eyes moving to meet.

“You’re incredibly easy to read. Your emotions are always evident from your face. Especially when you try to hide them.” Bakura looked down at his knife, which he’d been twirling in his fingers. “You never had to do that before, I’m guessing. Hide your fear.” He angled the blade back and forth, stopping when he caught Ryou’s reflection. “Unfortunate. Good news is, I can teach you.” Ryou’s wary expression made Bakura smirk. “You really fucking need it.”

Ryou squinted, glancing from the knife back to Bakura. Hide his emotions? What use would he have for doing that? “Why does it even matter? No one out here cares about what someone else is feeling. Why should I disguise my emotions if it isn’t going to make a difference?”

Bakura shook his head and clicked his tongue in disappointment. “I really thought you knew better than that, Ryou. Facial expression makes all the difference.” Bakura leaned in close, Ryou leaning back to keep their faces from touching. “Especially in the heat of battle.” Suddenly, Bakura stepped back, unsheathed his snake-engraved cutlass and pointed it right at Ryou, just under his chin. “If your opponent knows what you’re thinking, he’ll know your next move. _But,_ if you keep him guessing-” Before Ryou could even flinch, Bakura took a swipe at his arm, ripping his shirt and even drawing some blood. “He’ll never know what hit him.”

“Hey!” Ryou jumped. He turned his injured arm away from Bakura to wipe the blood, scowling at the red that coated his fingers. “You cut me!” 

Bakura raised a brow, smirking in amusement. “Yes. I did. Looks like your reflexes need improvement, too.” He sheathed his sword. 

“I… suppose so, yeah.” Ryou frowned, finding he couldn’t exactly argue with that. “But I see it. You’re right.” He looked back at Bakura, taking a hesitant step closer “Do you really think I’ll be able to do that, then? Attack when it’s least expected?”

Bakura grinned. “Why, Ryou, my entire plan is counting on exactly that.”

… 

The rest of the day was spent walking and conversing. Ryou didn’t know that Bakura was capable of sharing so much knowledge, but apparently, he was. The more time they spent together, the more interested in Bakura Ryou became. He was an entirely different person than he led on at the beginning, and sometimes, Ryou found himself legitimately enjoying their conversation. The day’s demonstrations did well to distract him from the lingering presence of Malik within his head, that is, until night time. How quickly he was able to forget, only to have the thoughts return as fast as they left. 

Ryou missed Malik. Ryou missed spending time with him. He missed eating dinner with him and laughing with him, but what was so different about these feelings? It was all a repeat of his thoughts on Mariku’s ship when he sat outside in the dark alone. Malik didn’t care. He never cared. The only reason he wanted Ryou to stay was because Ryou left in the first place. Well… maybe not completely on purpose, but Ryou was glad Malik didn’t know that.  
As Ryou stared up at the wood above his head, he smiled. He supposed saying he ran away was his first official ‘attack’ when Malik least expected it. It wasn’t exactly a lie, either. Just a little play on the truth. After all, Ryou knew he liked it better on Bakura’s ship now. What difference did it make if he left willingly or not? Perhaps the beginning wasn’t the best welcome in the world, but had it not been for Bakura’s persistence, Ryou might be out in the cold now, thinking about the same exact thing; Malik.

Ryou scoffed, rolling over onto his side. Malik, Malik, Malik. What did he matter anyway? Malik didn’t change. And what did it take for him to realize his mistakes? Ryou being gone. It was too late now. If Malik thought he was being held back, then that was his opinion. As it turned out, Ryou was being held back, too. He was number two on this ship, and all it took was a day. Ryou affirmed his thoughts with a nod and shut his eyes, face scrunched in a scowl. His thinking never really stopped, until he thought himself to sleep. 

In the neighboring room, Bakura sat at his desk, leaning back in his chair as he studied the map laid out in front of him. He ground his teeth, his face set into a thoughtful, yet irritated expression. His index finger tapped the wood of his desk in a slow, steady rhythm. After a long while of sitting in silence, Bakura leaned forward, letting out a sigh. “Mariku,” He dragged his tongue across his bottom lip, chuckling bitterly. “You always ruin my plans, don’t you?”

Bakura ran his eyes over the map, following the path that Ryou had drawn. He moved the map over to the left, focusing on one specific area. “So close. I’m _so close._” Bakura clicked his tongue. “Now, where can I lose him? How do I throw that bastard off my back?” His fingers tapped against the wood again, his eyes shifting left and right until they stopped. A grin stretched across his face, a chuckle slipping past his lips, gradually turning into a laugh. “Perfect!” Bakura stood, keeping his finger on the mark on the map. “Break off here. Claim what is mine right...” Bakura trailed off, pulling out a dagger from his coat and thrusting it into the desk, piercing the map. “Here.” He let go of the weapon and took a step back, admiring his work. 

“This is even better.” He laughed. “I’ll kill two birds with one helpful, little stone.”

…

“So what’s the plan?” Malik asked, walking next to Mariku as they inspected the ship, ensuring that things were running well to start the day. Malik never got the chance to ask before, for he was taking orders from Mariku nonstop. Of course, he wasn’t complaining. They were on a real mission now with a certain destination. The faster Malik would see Ryou again, the better.

“We’re keeping our distance,” Mariku replied. “I don’t want Bakura knowing what our next move is.”

Malik looked out at the moving water, the morning sky turning the waves a sparkly pink. In the distance was Bakura’s ship, just barely visible behind the morning fog. “Right. I see.” 

… 

Ryou was studying the map again, retracing the path he had created and making sure that it still made sense. He came across a hole where the line ended, picking up the map and poking his finger through it. “Well, that’s odd.” He set it down again, but his attention was drawn to the door opening, and Bakura entered the office.

“There you are,” He said, closing the door behind himself. “Checking over the map I see?” 

Ryou nodded. “Yeah. Do you have any idea why there’s a hole in it?” 

Bakura chuckled, but otherwise ignored the question as he pulled a chair next to Ryou, sitting close beside him. “It’s been a couple of days, you know. And we’re quickly approaching the island.” Bakura took a bottle out of his coat, placing it on the desk. The glass thudded against the wood, making its presence known. “You think we’re going to get there first? We’ve officially lost sight of Mariku.”

Ryou stared at the bottle of rum, watching the liquid settle. He shrugged. “We might. I have confidence that our plan is a lot more organized than theirs.” When he felt Bakura’s eyes, he turned to look back. Bakura kept staring. 

“Confidence?” He questioned. “You don’t sound very confident.” After a few more seconds of a stare down, Bakura got up. He walked over to a cabinet and returned with two glasses, setting them down on the desk the same way he did with the bottle. 

Ryou eyed them warily. Bakura’s actions were so inconsistent. It felt like he was in trouble, as if Bakura were disappointed in him in some way.

“Pour us a drink,” He said, interrupting Ryou’s thoughts. “We’re both gonna need one.”

The liquid filled the glasses, a soft splashing sound filling the silence in the room. Ryou pushed one nearer to Bakura and pulled the other toward himself. Bakura was the first to swallow it down, smacking his lips and sighing. 

“I don’t think you get it, Ryou. You’re holding on to shit that doesn’t matter.”

Ryou frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Malik. I’m talking about Malik.” Bakura shook his head. “He’s all you’ve been thinking about since we saw him. Why? Why do you give any shits about that guy?” He tilted his head slightly, his eyes searching for an answer within Ryou’s face.

“I have been thinking about him,” Ryou admitted. He picked up his own glass and brought it to his lips. “But I don’t think we’re on the same page, exactly.” Just as Bakura had, Ryou chugged down his serving of rum. He wiped his mouth with his sleeve. “I’ve been thinking about how to get to him. I want to win, Bakura. I want to beat him.”

Bakura seemed surprised by this, leaning back in his chair with his arms crossed over his chest. He chuckled. “Well, shit. You’re not lying, are you?” He laughed. “You really want to kick his ass, huh.”

Ryou poured more rum into Bakura’s glass. “Yes.” He flipped his own over. “I do.”

Bakura looked at Ryou a moment longer. “I was really wrong about you. You’ve got passion. You’ve got-”

“I want to accept your offer.”

Bakura blinked. It didn’t take long for him to grin. “I see. In that case…” He downed his rum and stood, walking over to another cabinet in the back. “I didn’t expect to give this to you today, but I think now is as good a time as any.” His hand moved to his neck, revealing a necklace that was tucked under his clothing. There was a key on the end, and the handle was shaped like a snake. He used it to unlock a drawer within the cabinet, pulling out a small box and bringing it over to the desk.

“What is that?” Ryou leaned in to open it, but Bakura smacked his hand away.

“Don’t touch it,” He hissed. “Not yet, at least.” He, very carefully, grazed his fingers over the lid before slowly opening it.

Inside lay a very small bottle. A vial. There was straw underneath it to protect the glass. Bakura took it out of the box, revealing the thin string that it was connected to. He placed it on the desk, letting out a shaky breath when he moved his hands away from it.

“Do you know what this is?” He asked, to which Ryou shook his head. “It’s a very important artifact. I found it a few years ago.”

“There’s a snake on it,” Ryou noted. “What’s up with that? Why does everything you own have a snake on it?”

Bakura settled down back into his chair, folding his hands in his lap. His fingers brushed over his rings, as if he were caressing them. “Well, it’s a very long story. The tale of ‘aeterna vita’ has many different origins and stories. For centuries people have been searching for youth serums, finding a way to cheat death and live forever. This particular legend is the only one I believe in. Do you know why that is?”

Ryou shook his head.

“Because I’ve seen it. I’ve seen enough of it to know it’s real.” Bakura pointed to the vial. “I found that on my old captain’s ship. The same ship I met that bastard Mariku. The night he betrayed my trust, I was already planning to leave. I stole that. I took it from that shitfaced captain and decided to put it in the best hands. Mine.” 

Ryou couldn’t help but lean in closer, becoming rather interested in the mystery Bakura’s story contained. In fact, Ryou realized then he knew nothing about Bakura or his past with Mariku. Suddenly he wanted to know more. He _needed_ to know more. “Why is it in Latin? I’ve never heard of anything like this in Latin before.”

Bakura chuckled in amusement, once again rubbing his rings with one of his fingers. “It’s an ancient Roman legend. One not well known, but one with the most potential. It wasn’t always Roman, though. In fact, the ‘snake of eternal life’ draws its origins from ancient Egypt, where they believed snakes held healing powers. Goddesses were believed to manifest from them. It is said, that drinking the blood from the ‘snake of eternal life’ will grant you immortality. These beliefs and legends caught on throughout history, sharing it in Greek and then in Latin after Rome came to rule. It’s a tiring story, the fall of Egypt, but one that is very important to the legend of ‘agnuis de aeterna vita.’ The history is where its power comes from. The snake has been moved many times throughout history, until its final resting place hundreds of years ago. Nobody even knows if it’s a real snake, a fountain, or even a piece of paper. All we know are the clues and riddles left behind by its previous protectors.”

Ryou nodded slowly, allowing the information to settle in his mind. “You said you’ve seen it. When? Where?” He bit his lip, trying to keep his questions from flooding out of his mouth. “I mean-”

“No, it’s good that you’re intrigued. You should be.” Bakura reached out and picked up the tiny bottle necklace, gently swiping his thumb over the painted image of a snake. “I saw it that night. The night I got this.” Bakura set the vial down again. He took off his hat, then his eyepatch, revealing the rest of the scar that was hidden behind it.

Ryou was just barely able to contain his gasp. The scarred skin hadn’t shut Bakura’s eye, but rather Bakura’s eye was a different color. Ryou didn’t understand at first, but then it made some kind of sense. It seemed that Bakura got lucky. The scar wasn’t continuous, but broke just beneath the lower eyelid before it continued up through his eyebrow. Bakura could have lost his eye if the wound were continuous, but instead the eye itself was scarred, causing it to look light blue, almost white and glazed over.

“I fell off the ship. That bastard sliced me open and left his mark. Thought I was going to die.” Bakura grinned then, letting out a laugh. “He wishes. No, I washed up on shore that night. I had a vision, Ryou.” He looked directly at Ryou then, his grin remaining, the scarring on the left side of his face wrinkling with his muscles. “I saw a cave in my vision. A snake appeared to me. It wasn’t coincidence I stole that bottle, either. I knew it was real, and I wasn’t going to let that ungrateful son of a bitch grasp eternal life after what he did to me. It wasn’t luck that kept me alive. It was karma.” Bakura set his eyepatch on the desk, letting out a tired sigh. “Alright, Ryou. No more questions. You said you’re accepting my offer. In order to do that, I’m going to need something from you.”

Ryou nodded. “Yes. What is it?” He almost felt as if he _owed_ Bakura something at this point. Especially after all this information was shared with him. Bakura’s amused expression faded away, and for the first time in a while, his smirk disappeared. He was serious, and the atmosphere sent a chill down Ryou’s spine.

“In order to trust you, in order for you to trust me, we need to make a pact.” Bakura reached down into his boot, producing a small blade. Ryou wondered exactly how many knives were on Bakura, because he never seemed to use the same one twice. “This bottle is a pact vial. A symbol of trust.”

Ryou swallowed, his mouth becoming dry. He saw where this was going. It didn’t seem out of the ordinary, either. Bakura had been betrayed once before, and drastic measures had to be taken to make sure that wouldn’t happen again. At least, that was what Ryou assumed. He nodded. “I understand.” He held out his hand to Bakura, showing his index finger to him. “Do it. I want it. I want to make a pact with you.”

Bakura raised a brow, his smirk returning. “Shit. You haven’t even heard my terms yet.” He tooks Ryou’s hand in his own and pushed it back toward him. “Shut up and listen for a second.” Letting out a sigh, Bakura resumed his state of solemnity. “This pact entails that neither you, nor I, will betray each other. You are with me now. Not with Malik. By forming this pact, you agree to work with me to find the Snake of Eternal Life, no matter what. This is our mission. If we accomplish it, Mariku, Malik, and anyone else who gets in our way, will fall to their knees and obey our every command. If we work together to find this Snake, immortality will be ours, and we’ll be able to control anyone that is desperate enough to achieve it.” He paused, allowing his words to sink in. He stared at Ryou then, his gaze cold, and hard, no humor to be found on his expression or in his tone. “Do you agree to my terms?”

Ryou licked his lips, unable to take his eyes away from Bakura’s, and more specifically his scarred eye. He felt as though Bakura were reading into his very soul, taking apart every thought and feeling and analyzing it for himself. He thought it over, the silence in the room dead and weighted until finally, Ryou opened his mouth. “Yes,” He agreed, his tone as firm as he could get it despite the uneasy feeling in his stomach. “I agree.”

Bakura gave a nod and leaned back, picking up the vial that was resting on the desk. He took the top off and shifted it to an equal distance between them. “Give me your hand.” He held Ryou’s with one of his own, the other hand picking up the knife. 

Ryou watched as Bakura brought the blade to his palm, cutting into the skin from thumb to pinky. He folded Ryou’s hand into a fist and, very carefully, held it over the vial. The blood dripped neatly into the bottle, turning the entire bottom red. Five drops were taken from Ryou, and Bakura did the same to himself. Five drops from each person filled the tiny vial, the small, white snake becoming more prominent. Bakura sealed the vial, and took out a handkerchief from his breast pocket. He wrapped it around his hand and held it out to Ryou. “Shake.”

Ryou reached his hand out, and Bakura grasped it tightly. 

“Congratulations, Ryou. You’ve just made a bloodpact.” Bakura took out another handkerchief once their handshake was complete, handing it off to Ryou. “Wipe the blood away. It’s not a deep cut, but it will scar. It’s a pirate’s mark. Almost every pirate has one.” He smirked. “Or a few.”

Ryou tied the cloth to his hand, figuring the bleeding will stop on its own. “Well, that’s done.” He hesitantly continued, “Now what?”

Bakura smiled, picking up his eyepatch and sliding it over his head to put it back into place again. “Now, you put it on. It’s a necklace. You wear it. Never lose it.”

“How come you don’t get one?”

“Because I’m not the one that shook my hand. You made the promise, now you have to keep it.” Bakura picked up the vial and unraveled the string, then placed it over Ryou’s head and let it rest around his neck. “There,” He said, leaning back to admire his work, humming. “It suits you.” Bakura stood, collecting his knife and rum, and turning to take his leave. “Keep this to yourself, by the way. Nobody else needs to know.” Without another word or explanation, Bakura walked out of the cabin. A breeze blew inside when he opened the door to leave.

Ryou let out a long, slow breath of air. He hadn’t realized how much tension he held until he was finally left alone. He wasn’t quite expecting to engage in something as heavy as a bloodpact, but on Bakura’s ship, every day was an adventure in itself. 

After allowing himself to breathe, Ryou looked down at the small bottle hanging around his neck, reaching up to hold it between his thumb and index finger. 

It was still warm.


	7. Chapter 7

…   
“Land ho!”

Malik’s head immediately whipped around to the other side, and he ran to the edge of the ship. They were quickly approaching their destination, and the entire crew scrambled about to get the anchor ready and adjust the sails. Malik gripped the wood of the ship, his fingernails scraping and making marks against it. His eyes wandered and he searched for any sign of the enemy ship, but saw none. Frowning, he forced himself away to go help the rest of the crew. 

It had been a few days since he’d seen Ryou, and the anticipation was eating at him, especially now when he might be so close to seeing him again. Mariku was wrong about him. Ryou wasn’t the enemy, and there was no way Malik was going to hurt Ryou in any way. Something had to be done, though, and Malik had a feeling in order to knock some sense into him, Ryou would have to be away from Bakura. The encounter with that man left a bad taste in Malik’s mouth, especially with the way he touched Ryou’s face and spoke for him. It was almost possessive, and it seemed that Ryou was oblivious to all of it. It made Malik feel awful. How horrible he must have been to get Ryou to the point where he never even looked back. After all these years, their entire lifetime, it was over in a day. Malik rubbed his forehead, letting out a heavy sigh. He knew he’d have to fix things. It wasn’t going to be easy.

The crew worked their last hour, and soon the ship had been anchored, and they were all ready to take their orders. Mariku, with his leg healing well, walked up to the bow of the ship and stood before his crew, all attention on him.

“Now is the moment we’ve all been waiting for. We are closer than we have ever been before, and I’m not going to let this opportunity slip past my fingers.” Mariku adjusted his hat. He was dressed in his full captain attire, from hat to coat to boots. It was the outfit that made Malik envy the pirate life, but looking at it now made him feel uneasy. “That’s why I’m going to need your full attention. Your full loyalty.”

There was an uneasy pause as everyone waited, the wind and the sea the only sound filling their ears for the moment.

“If you see anyone from Bakura’s ship, you kill them. If you see Bakura himself, you bring him to me. Don’t let any one of them get in your way.” Mariku’s eyes roamed over all of his men until they found Malik. They locked onto him, and he continued, “That includes our old friend, Ryou. We don’t tolerate traitors on this ship, and I think you all know what we do with traitors.”

The men on the ship roared in excitement, unsheathing their swords and holding them up in the air. Mariku smiled, dragging his tongue across his lower lip. “Now, go find my treasure. Go find my snake!” In the blink of an eye, nearly all of Mariku’s crew either jumped overboard, climbed over, or took a small rowing boat into the shallow waters, racing each other to the beach of their new destination. There were two left on the main deck: Malik and Mariku.

Mariku approached his comrade, his boots making their familiar intimidating thumps, only now they were accompanied by a third thud; the sound of the cane, and then the slight dragging of Mariku’s left leg. 

“You remember the plan, yes? I trust that you will do the right thing.” Mariku, as he stopped beside Malik, put a hand on the other’s shoulder. “Don’t forget it’s not all for nothing. You’ll get your fair share as long as you do what is asked. I’m a man of my word.”

Malik didn’t look at Mariku, but watched the other men running out of their boats and running onto the beach. He nodded his head once. “Yes. I remember. I’ll do what I can.” His eyes shifted to glance at Mariku’s hand, and then he looked up at his face. “You’ll be okay on your own?”

Mariku chuckled. “Of course.” He pat Malik’s shoulder twice and gave him a bit of a shove. “Now let’s go. We have no time to waste.”

Without a second glance, Malik led the way to the edge of the ship, helping Mariku onto the last row boat. He rowed them to the shore of the beach, his eyes fixed on the bundle of trees blocking the view of the rest of the island. Frankly, Malik didn’t know what was going to happen. He knew that he wanted it to go a certain way, but the odds of this turning out perfectly were about slim to none. Malik was counting on none.

As the bottom of the boat brushed up against the sand on the shore, Malik snapped out of his inner thoughts and hopped out of the boat, helping Mariku out and pulling the boat out of the water and onto the beach.

“No time to lose,” Malik said, nodding to Mariku and turning to run into the mass of trees and shrubbery. 

The plan was put into action, and so far it seemed that Mariku was winning.

Malik, as he climbed, stumbled, and navigated his way through the seemingly untouched forestry, couldn’t help but remember the last time he’d done this exact same thing. Ryou was with him, and Ryou did all the work. Malik stopped, then, and pulled out the map from his pocket. It seemed that, even though he wasn’t standing next to him, Ryou still did all the work. 

Pulling out a compass, Malik reestablished his whereabouts and double checked his route on the map. He could tell this map wouldn’t directly lead to the treasure, or the ‘snake’ as Mariku called it, because this entire adventure was just a bunch of twists and riddles leading to other twists and riddles. It would be too easy to just stumble upon the island and find the treasure, so Malik prepared himself for thinking and some hard work. 

He looked up, squinting as the sunlight shone through the tops of the trees. Ryou was here, too. He could feel it. Without any more delay, Malik continued his walking. The faster he got to the end of the map, the sooner he’d meet up with Ryou.

Leaves crunched under his feet, bushes rustled as he brushed past them, and water splashed whenever he crossed thin creeks. The land was certainly untouched, and something about that fact made Malik uneasy. He hadn’t known much about this legend, but it seemed that the entire crew did. Granted, Malik wasn’t keen or very familiar with the pirate life, but it did seem that this ‘snake’ was something worthwhile. Why, then, hadn’t it been pursued by others? Certainly Ryou couldn’t have been the only person to figure out these riddles and puzzles. Were the riddles just that difficult? Or was the pursuit of the ‘snake’ just too dangerous? 

Malik didn’t dwell on that thought. It was just another obstacle in his way. Taking another look at the map, he planned out his next couple of landmarks. As he started off, he thought he heard something that wasn’t himself. It was distant, quiet, and seemed accidental. Quickly, Malik hid behind a tree, peeking out to see if he could see anyone following him. He frowned deeply, his brow furrowing. His hand lowered, fingers finding their way to his sword, grip tightening around the handle. Malik grit teeth. He hoped it was Bakura.

Peeking out again, he thought he saw some leaves move. Without thinking very clearly, Malik bolted out from behind the tree and sprinted toward the suspicious leaves. He leapt forward when he saw a figure, tackling them to the ground. Their bodies rolled and tumbled in the dirt, and Malik made sure that he was on top.

“Gotcha! You were following me!” He caught hold of his bearings, and his eyes became focused on the supposed spy he had caught. Only it wasn’t exactly who he thought it was.

Sputtering and spitting out dirt, Ryou squirmed. “Get off of me! What did you do that for?”

Realizing who it was, Malik’s first instinct was to get up and help Ryou off the ground, maybe even dust him off a little, but he had a second thought. He looked down at Ryou, squinting his eyes. “No. I’m not moving. Ryou, you need to come with me. We need to leave.”

Ryou stopped moving and he looked up at Malik, a disgusted expression scrunching up his face. “What?” He scoffed. “What are you talking about? I’m not leaving with _you._ Let me go. You’re cheating!”

“Ryou, this isn’t a game anymore!” Malik lifted his head and looked around, checking their surroundings to make sure their shouting hadn’t attracted any unwanted attention. He looked back at Ryou, lowering his voice and leaning in closer. “Look, you can’t be on this island. Mariku is out to get you. Every single person on his ship is looking for you right now. You can’t stay here!”

“I _can_ stay, and I will.” Ryou kicked his foot out, hitting Malik in the gut and pushing him off. Ryou was quick to stand, unsheathing his sword and pointing it at Malik. “I can handle myself. They can try to kill me, but I can assure you I’ll kill them first.”

Malik held his stomach, catching his breath as he looked up at Ryou. He supposed he deserved that. “I-I want to believe you. I do, but I can’t just-” He let out a deep breath, trying to think of some way that would convince Ryou to see things for what they were. “I get it. You’re mad at me, but this is so much more than that. I care about you. I can’t just stand by and watch you fall into the hands of danger.”

Ryou’s eyes narrowed and he felt his face grow warm. His grip on his sword tightened. “No one is ‘falling’ anywhere. If anything, I’ll be walking- no, _running_ into danger. Willingly.” Ryou lowered his sword and kicked dirt at Malik. “You think you’re helping me, but you’re just adding fuel to the fire. Leave me alone. Play the game right.”

Before Malik could reply, and before he could finish wiping the dirt off his face, Ryou was gone. Just like that. He wondered if Ryou had even been there to begin with. Malik stood, dusted himself off, and looked around. He’d see Ryou again soon enough. He just had to follow the rest of the map.

… 

“Where have you been?” Bakura narrowed his eyes at Ryou as he jogged closer. “You ran into Malik, didn’t you?” It wasn’t a question. Ryou looked distraught.

Ryou nodded, catching his breath when he stopped beside Bakura. “Yeah. I lost him, though. We should have plenty of time.”

Bakura lifted his gaze and scanned their surroundings, just to make sure that what Ryou said was true. He was satisfied when he saw and heard nothing, turning around and waving a hand over his shoulder. “Come on. We should still hurry.”

Taking in a deep breath, Ryou followed behind Bakura. He took one final glance behind himself, subconsciously stopping as he stared at the empty, uninteresting trees and shrubs. He didn’t realize how long he’d been staring until Bakura grabbed hold of his arm and pulled him away.

“What are you doing?” Bakura moved Ryou so that he was walking in front. “Lead the way. You know where it is.”

“Ah, right.” Ryou cleared his throat, blinking his eyes to get himself focused. 

He memorized the map he had configured, and soon enough they reached a cave, much like the one Malik and him had found a while back. “It’s in there,” Ryou said, pointing. “The next piece should be in there.” He walked toward the cave then, his boots splashing in the small puddle of water that overtook the ground. He heard Bakura following behind him, but the cave didn’t seem to go as deep as Ryou thought it would. He nearly bumped into the rocks in the back.

“Is that the end?” Bakura asked. “How do you know where to find it?”

Ryou shook his head, his brow furrowing as he began to think. “I’m not sure. Let me try to remember the map.” 

The map was in the shape of a snake. Their destination was the ‘head’ part. If the cave was the head, then maybe the treasure was somewhere in the tongue or the fangs. Ryou looked up. Above their heads were two long, pointy rocks hanging from the top of the cave. “Ah!” Ryou beamed, turning around and brushing past Bakura as he stared and searched the ground beneath them for the answer. The sun’s rays shone into the opening of the cave, and Ryou used it to his advantage. “There it is!” He quickly knelt down in the water, putting his hand over an object that glinted in the sunlight. Pushing sand and dirt aside, Ryou pulled out a green glass bottle. 

Upon seeing this bottle, Bakura ran over to Ryou and snatched it out of his hand. “That’s it! You found it!” They were both shaking, staring in awe at the simple object that held the answer to their quest. “Come on, we can’t open it here. Follow me. Quickly.” Without sparing another moment, Bakura started off on a run, and Ryou followed behind him.

They ran around the cave, climbed up a rocky hill, and ran further once they reached the top. Ryou wasn’t going to last for very much longer, for he was already lagging behind, but Bakura figured they were secluded enough and stopped underneath a shady tree. Ryou caught up and leaned against the tree, wiping sweat away from his brow. “Okay,” He said, panting, “Open it. I can’t wait any longer.”

Bakura chuckled, leaning his back against the tree as well and sliding down to sit. Ryou did the same. Bakura’s hands were shaking again. He took some deep breaths, then placed his fingers on the cork. With a couple of twists and one good pull, the cork came out with a ‘pop.’ 

“Is it another map?” Ryou asked, unable to contain his curiosity. He leaned closer, watching Bakura’s hands intently as he tipped the bottle over and took out the piece of paper that was rolled up inside. Slowly, he unraveled it, and Ryou was eager to read the written words that were revealed to them.

“It’s another riddle,” He said, and Bakura handed him the paper. Ryou read it over a few times. He looked up at the sunlight, calculating the daylight they had left. “We need to find a waterfall. I think that’s where it is. The final destination.”

Bakura grinned at that, giddly getting to his feet and holding his hand out to help Ryou up as well. “Then let’s start searching. I know a good couple of tips to find water in a place like this.”

Ryou grabbed hold of the offered hand and gave a nod, pocketing the piece of paper in case they would need it later. “Great. And we’ve got a head start, too. There’s no way Malik would be able to know where to go without this.”

“Precisely.” Bakura examined their surroundings, searching for some kind of indication of a nearby water source. “Let’s start making our way back downhill. Be cautious. I heard some voices while coming up here.” With that, Bakura led the way, and Ryou followed close behind.

They moved briskly, careful of running into Mariku’s men or Malik. If anyone saw them, it would be over. Bakura wasn’t ready to give up any time soon, either. He was so very close. All of the pieces of the puzzle were falling into place, and he felt that soon he would have what he most desired. His water-tracking skills seemed to come in handy, and he followed the green vegetation and kept an eye out for insects. He stopped them a few times, hiding in the bushes and listening carefully for any unexpected footsteps or voices. Bakura halted once again, putting his hand out to stop Ryou as well.

“Do you hear that?” He asked in a whisper.

“Hear what?” Ryou held his breath, trying to listen for any sounds out of the ordinary. He gasped after a few seconds. “Oh! Running water!” He moved out from behind Bakura and started moving toward the sound. The ground started to get soft beneath his feet, and Ryou squinted into the distance. “I see it,” He said, looking at Bakura over his shoulder. “I see the river.”

Bakura motioned for Ryou to continue on, and he followed his lead. He saw the river as well, and when they got to the bank he veered Ryou in the direction of the waterfall. “Do you see it?” Ryou nodded. “Walk along the river. I’ll worry about if anyone sees us.”

Bakura watched Ryou carefully as he started walking again, allowing for some space between them. He did keep watch, turning around and looking side to side. He was confident they were alone, and he was confident they would be for long enough. As they approached the waterfall, Ryou looked back at Bakura for further direction. 

“Go on.” Bakura pointed toward the waterfall. “There should be an opening behind the water. In the rocks.” He smirked. “I’ll be right behind you.”

As Ryou continued on, Bakura slowly followed, waiting until Ryou was behind the water. He moved closer, his hand slowly reaching down to grab hold of his revolver. His fingers wrapped around the handle, and Bakura approached the running water. “Do you see anything?”

Ryou stepped into the dark, his eyes widening on their own to try to see further inside. The hair on his neck stood upright. Something didn’t feel right. This cave didn’t feel right. The sound of Bakura’s voice didn’t sound right. “Um… No. I can’t see anything.” Ryou hesitated. He could feel Bakura’s body heat behind him. He could feel his cold breath sending chills down his spine. Ryou swallowed. “Bakura?” Slowly, regretfully, Ryou began to turn around, but he never made it all the way to see Bakura swing his arm, the handle of the revolver colliding with the back of Ryou’s head.

Bakura, grip tightened around his weapon, looked down at Ryou’s unconscious body. His face contorted into an eerie, excited grin. The skin beneath his eyepatch squished together. “I have to thank you, Ryou,” He murmured, his voice echoing in the dark, empty cavern. He reached down to pick up Ryou’s legs. “I couldn’t have done it without you.”

…

“I don’t understand... It’s supposed to be right here.” Malik squinted at the map and then looked up at the cave. He had searched everywhere inside and near the cave, but couldn’t find anything that might give him another clue as to where the hiding place of the ‘snake’ would be. He figured Ryou had beaten him to it. He sighed. Things were not supposed to go this way but, much like the entirety of what was supposed to be a temporary adventure, it was expected to go wrong. Malik pocketed his map and decided he would need to look for other clues to find Ryou’s whereabouts. There was no way he was going to give up on his friend. 

Upon further investigation of the cave and the area surrounding it, Malik found a couple of footprints in the dirt. There were multiple, insinuating that more than one person had been here at the same time. These must have been Ryou and Bakura’s footprints. Malik was certain. He tried to follow them for as long as possible, but they only went so far. 

“Ryou… Where have you gone?” Malik murmured to himself. His eyes scanned the ground, the grass, the shrubbery, and even the trees. There had to be some other way of tracking them. Malik considered the direction of the footprints then. Where would they be going? North? South? Malik took out his compass and tried to decipher the duo’s plans. He decided to try heading south, downward, keeping his eyes peeled for more signs of travel and footprints. He found another group as the ground became soft and muddy.

Malik bit his lip. A wave of anxiety grew over him suddenly, and he felt very uneasy. Something wasn’t right. If Ryou was alone with Bakura, then where was the rest of the crew? Shouldn’t they be following them to make sure enemies hadn’t attacked them? 

Sighing, Malik leaned against a tree, his thoughts outnumbering his rational decision-making. He shook his head, staring at the river that flowed a few feet away from him. Was Ryou really gone? What’s going to happen when he finally catches up with Ryou, only to be rejected again? Malik supposed that the way he worded things wasn’t the best, and he knew that he had to accept that Ryou was an individual. Before, it was always him and Ryou. Malik and Ryou taking on the world. Now? It was much different now. Ryou got a taste of freedom, just like Malik did, only his mentor wasn’t-

“Mentor?” Malik said out loud, frowning. Since when had Mariku been his mentor? Malik’s hand balled into a fist. Mariku had forced him away from his best friend. Told him that Ryou ‘wasn’t worth it.’ The worst part was Malik believed it. 

Maybe, Malik thought, Bakura wasn’t such a bad person. If someone as smart and as thoughtful as Ryou could trust him, maybe he wasn’t the villain Mariku made him out to be.

Time was running out. An alarm went off in Malik’s head, veering his brain back on course with his task of tracking Ryou. His friend was at risk.

Malik approached the river. It was louder now, and that made him nervous. It was harder to hear surrounding sounds over the flow of the water. He could see, though, disturbed grass and impressions in the mud. Malik, with haste, followed them. 

The footprints led all the way down the river, but came to a stop at the waterfall. The waterfall was loud, too, and the mist and water droplets were hard on Malik’s vision, keeping him from seeing his surroundings clearly. Malik was sure that this was where Ryou was, though. The footprints stopped, and there was no where else to go. 

… 

Bakura tossed a small collection of knives to the side, the metal clinking against the hard, moist rocks of the cave. It was cold, but not too dark, as the sun shone through a hole in the top of the isolated cavern. It was artistic, really. Bakura admired the way the light complemented Ryou’s pale skin. He could not have imagined a better offering to be placed upon the altar than the one that lay there now. It was almost a shame, really, to have to see such an intelligent, hardworking individual such as Ryou have to go, but Bakura knew the end to his story from the very beginning.

Bakura walked over to the offering table, his eyes scanning over Ryou once more to make sure every weapon had been removed from his person. It seemed like it, so Bakura decided to move on to the next step. He grabbed the vial necklace and ripped it off of Ryou’s neck. “Blood pact,” Bakura mumbled with a smirk, “How naive.” He turned and placed it on a different table, then walked over to what looked to be a pot full of ash. Bakura, being the prepared captain he always was, took out a flint rock and struck it against the steel rim of the bowl, igniting the kindling within. He did the same to a similar bowl on the other side of the cavern, revealing the intricate beauty that would have otherwise been hidden.

The entirety of the cave was carved. Writings, statues, and most importantly, in the deep corner of the cave, a pile of gold, rubies, and other riches lay resting. Bakura knew better than to take the bait. The real beauty was the center of the cave, the elevated tabernacle, and the chalice that sat beside it. It was just as Bakura pictured it. As soon as he heard the story from his own captain, he was drawn to the mystery of it all.

The Snake of Eternal Life was more than just a legend. It was Bakura’s obsession. Time was never on his side, and the chance to take it all back, to be in control of it, was what attracted Bakura to the stories. It wasn’t like anything he’d ever heard before. A prize that came with a price.

In order to achieve eternal life, the control of time, Bakura needed to solve the riddles. The impossible tasks many pirates tried, but failed. 

Then, there was the price: Taking a life to earn a life.

Ryou seemed to fall into Bakura’s lap that fateful afternoon. It almost made Bakura furious seeing how Ryou, without any idea what he was doing, had so easily solved the questions, numbers, rhymes, limericks, and play on words. Fury aside, Bakura knew what was the best option. Ryou was convenient. Somehow gullible yet smart at the same time.

As if on cue, Ryou’s fingers twitched. Bakura grinned, silently watching as Ryou’s unconscious body slowly came to awareness. Panic ensued when he couldn’t move his arms or legs.

“Relax,” Bakura said, approaching Ryou from behind the altar. “Struggling won’t do you any good.” He loomed over Ryou’s face, studying it as if he were seeing it for the first time. 

Ryou scowled at him, annoyed that his sight on Bakura was upside down. “You _liar!_ You cheat! You-You were never-!” He was so angry, he lost his ability to form words. Ryou growled, furious and frustrated, twisting his hands around in the rope that kept them pinned down at his sides.

Bakura shook his head, placing his hands on the table so that Ryou’s head was in between them. He moved in closer, his cheek grazing against Ryou’s as he spoke in the other’s ear. “Before you go spreading rumors about me, I’d like to remind you that I didn’t do any of those things. You got yourself here. Not me.”

Before Ryou could finish his sputtering and begin to form justifications, Bakura lowered his head and kissed Ryou on the lips. 

Rather than becoming more angry, which Ryou wished he would have, he felt his face warm and, overcome with shame and embarrassment, he fell silent. Bakura was going to have it that way regardless.

“Good.” Bakura pulled away in favor of sitting down next to Ryou on the edge of the altar. “Now, let me fill you in on our situation here.” He leaned over, stretching across Ryou’s body to pick up the vial he’d taken off his neck. “You are, as of right now, helping me find the Agnuis de Aeterna Vita. Guess what? You’re lying right on top of it!” Bakura pat the stone, his rings clinking against the rock.

Ryou looked up at him with a glare. “That doesn’t explain why you knocked me out and tied me to it.”

Bakura chuckled. “No, it doesn’t. Patience. I’m getting to that.” He looked at the vial in his hand, lightly brushing his thumb over the white snake painted on the front. “You see, the snake, unlike those other silly fountain of youth legends, requires much more of the seeker. Of course, there’s the planning, the riddle solving, and the traveling, but there’s just one more task we have to do.” Bakura reached a hand out in favor of curling his finger in a strand of Ryou’s hair. He feigned a sigh, continuing with a casual shrug and the slight shake of the head. “I’m going to have to kill you.”

Ryou was paralyzed. He stared at Bakura, trying to figure out if he was serious. Considering he’d been knocked out and tied to an offering table, Bakura was definitely serious. If Ryou had been afraid of anything in his life, he’d never felt fear like this before. He was going to die! Bakura was no friend! Bakura wasn’t any kind of mentor! Ryou felt his throat close up, and he felt his face grow warm with anger and embarrassment. How had he not seen it coming? His body shifted, but he knew better than to struggle too much. “You’re horrible,” Ryou found himself saying, his eyes narrowing into a glare as he stared at Bakura. “I should have stayed with Malik,” He mumbled.

“Hm. Perhaps you should have.” Bakura stood up then, tapping the vial in his hand with his fingernail so that it made a soft clink. “However, you did agree to this, though. I can’t be blamed for all of it. You’re just as bad as I am if you think about it.” He smirked.

Ryou scoffed in response. He didn’t know his irritation could have gotten any worse. “I did no such thing! We’re nothing alike. You’re going to kill someone for your own selfish reasons.”

“Ah, ah, ah,” Bakura hummed, shaking his finger in front of Ryou’s face. “You made a pact. You clearly said you’d do anything, no matter what, to find this treasure. You said you’d do _anything_ to help me and to get back at Malik. Or do you not remember that part?” Bakura brought the vial of blood closer to Ryou’s face. “The evidence is right here. Good thing, too. Congratulations, Ryou. You’re a willing sacrifice!”

As Bakura laughed at the situation, Ryou stared at the vial in shock. His heart sank, and he could swear it stopped beating altogether. “You- No!” Ryou struggled again, pulling his arms and twisting his body left and right. “You tricked me! You made me think- You said-” Frustrated, Ryou groaned. He’d had enough of these games. He wasn’t going to die. Not like this. “Let me go! You can’t do this!”

Bakura ceased his laughter almost immediately, setting the vial down and pressing a hand down on Ryou’s chest to hold him still. He leaned in close, and Ryou stopped moving in favor of taking Bakura’s staredown as a challenge. Bakura’s voice lowered into a whisper. A hiss. “I can and I will. You’ve no idea how hard I worked for this. I have what I need from you, and now I’m going to finish what I started. So, I suggest you shut up and take it like a real man, eh?” He leaned back, an amused expression on his face. “That is what you’re trying to prove to Malik, right? That you’re ‘tough’ enough. Tch.” Bakura spit on Ryou’s face. “You never would have been.”

Ryou flinched, watching in silence as Bakura moved to pick up the vial again, intending on opening it. He stopped suddenly, though, his head quickly turning to the only entrance to the cavern. Bakura squinted, scanning the darkness in search of a figure. Ryou saw him tense, and then turned to see for himself.

“I think that’s enough from you,” Malik said, stepping out from the shadows, cutlass in hand. “Funny how you preach being tough when you have other people doing all the work for you.”

Bakura set the vial down again, walking around the table to move closer to Malik. “Ah, how kind of you to join us. You know, I was very disappointed to hear my attempt at killing you didn’t follow through like it was supposed to. Had it not been for you, I wouldn’t have had to see that ugly son of bitch Mariku again.”

Malik side stepped, watching Bakura’s moves carefully. “Maybe if you did the job yourself it would have been done right,” He sneered. “But here we are.”

“Yes. Here we are.” Bakura looked Malik up and down. “I wonder, though, what you believe you will be doing with that weapon of yours.” He chuckled. “Surely you’re not threatening me. You don’t have any idea what you’re getting yourself into.”

Bakura took a dagger out from his belt and, as if to demonstrate, threw it towards Malik, just above his head. Malik turned to look at it and snorted. 

“You missed.”

“Did I?” Bakura grinned as the rocks above them rumbled, Malik looked up and quickly leapt to the side and out of the way of a crumbling statue.

“Watch your step, Malik. A cave this old is just begging to fall apart.” 

Malik quickly got up and dusted himself off, glaring at Bakura. “You’re pushing your luck if you think a couple of rocks will scare me.” He charged at Bakura, gripping his sword tightly as he made a move to strike. It almost seemed as if he was about to slice Bakura’s body in half, but at the last moment, Bakura unsheathed his own weapon and parried. The sound of metal hitting metal echoed throughout the cave. 

“That was a big mistake,” Bakura hissed angrily, leaning forward to add pressure to Malik’s sword before taking his own swing. Malik, quite unexpectedly, managed to block the attack.

After that, the two began on a back and forth of attack and defense, metal hitting metal one second after the next. 

Ryou, meantime, remained quiet, watching the two move about as one would gain advantage over the other only to lose it a moment later. They were distracted, and Ryou took the opportunity to wriggle, trying to find the best way to get the knife that was still hidden in his boot. Ironically, it was a habit he had picked up from Bakura. Ryou lifted his head to examine how far away his legs were from his hands. It wasn’t looking like he’d be able to reach. Both hands were bound at his waist. He would have to find a better way to cut the rope loose. 

Ryou became distracted, though, by a figure out the corner of his eye. He moved his head left, seeing Malik and Bakura, then right, seeing the figure in the dark. He squinted, then stiffened. 

Standing, hunched over in the dark, was Mariku. He held a finger to his lips, signaling for Ryou to be quiet. Ryou groaned quietly to himself. Maybe it would be a good thing, though. All of the distractions might give him more time to figure out his escape.

Meanwhile, Bakura managed to cut Malik a few times, and vice versa. It seemed they were matched, and Malik was thankful Mariku had taught him how to swordfight pretty well. Suddenly, though, Bakura stopped and stared at the entrance. “Come out,” He demanded, “Show your face, Mariku.”

Malik turned to face the direction Bakura was, but also took the opportunity to gain distance between them. He frowned when he saw Mariku, though. This wasn’t a part of the plan he’d been told.

“What an interesting turn of events this has come out to be,” Mariku hummed, stepping out from the shadows. “It looks like you almost won.”

Bakura snarled, growing increasingly furious with the new delay. “Get out of here. Fucking get out!”

Mariku laughed, the sound thick and somehow threatening. “Oh? Are things not going the way you wanted them to?”

Having hit his peak, Bakura gripped another dagger and quickly threw it directly at Mariku. The latter simply ducked to dodge the hit. This only angered Bakura further. 

“Looks like you need to improve your aim, old friend.”

“Shut up! Why don’t you just get out of here!” Bakura started running toward Mariku, his sword in hand and ready to strike. Mariku didn’t move, yet Bakura’s sword was blocked somehow. When he looked again, Malik was there, their swords touching as they had moments before. Bakura burst into laughter. “Oh, how _rich!”_ He leaned into Malik just as he did before, only his face was closer to Mariku’s. “You’ve got yourself a _pet._ Just like me. I wonder what it was you were going to do with him, eh?”

Bakura gave a hard shove, causing Malik to stumble backward. “You know who you’re dealing with, Malik? Do you have any fucking idea what we’re doing here?” Bakura was practically shaking with rage. He pointed to Ryou but didn’t look at him. “That. That’s what he was going to do with you. You were fucked as soon as you got on his ship. He knew exactly what he was going to do with you. He was going to fucking >i>kill you!”

“What?” Malik looked at Mariku, eyes wide with a flash of anger and confusion.

“Enough!” Mariku unsheathed his own sword and, despite his limp, took a swing at Bakura, managing to catch him off guard and cut him at the chest. Bakura just laughed.

“Oh, you think you’re so fucking smart. You think you have everything planned out, don’t you?” Bakura spat at Mariku. “You lost. The blood needs to be _willing.”_

There was a silence in the cavern, the three men staring at each other with almost the same amount of hatred. Mariku decided to take the first swing, going for Bakura once again. Bakura defended, and Malik swung his sword at Mariku. They almost engaged in a chaotic to-the-death three-way, but a fourth, nearly forgotten voice redirected their attention.

“Hey!” Ryou shouted, standing on top of the table he was previously tied on. “You’re all blind! Don’t you see it? This-This sick joke of a treasure has twisted us into people we’re not!” Ryou held out the small vial of blood.

Bakura’s pupils constricted. “Don’t you fucking dare. Don’t you fucking dare!” Before anyone could react, Bakura sprinted toward Ryou, but as soon as he moved it was too late.

Ryou hurled the vial into the ground. Bakura halted and stared, wide-eyed, at the mess of blood and broken glass. It wasn’t in the chalice where it was supposed to be. His hands balled into fists, eyes seeming to flash red. Bakura’s gaze shifted from the ground to Ryou, his body unmoving. “You,” He panted, grinning even though he had nothing to grin about. “You are going to pay.”

In the blink of an eye Bakura ran, leaping forward and pouncing Ryou, causing both of them to land a couple feet away from the table where Ryou had stood. Bakura’s hands grasped Ryou’s throat, squeezing, closely examining the panic in Ryou’s eyes. He failed to notice, however, that while Ryou’s left hand scratched and grasped Bakura’s wrist, his right remained at his side. That is, until Ryou raised his hand and stabbed the knife that was once in his boot directly into Bakura’s arm.

Malik watched in horror as Bakura’s blood began to pool on the ground, his pained and furious howl echoing throughout the cavern. Ryou wriggled out from underneath Bakura and ran. Malik didn’t waste time wondering where Ryou was going to go. He decided to get a gain on Bakura before he could attempt to kill Ryou again. 

Malik ran toward Bakura, but just before he reached him, he tripped. He fell hard on the ground, losing grip of his sword, watching as it slid and screeched over the rocky cave floor. When he moved to get up, a heavy, forceful weight pushed him forward, pinning him to the ground on his stomach.

”Not so fast,” Mariku leaned forward, leaning his weight on his cane. “I still need you. And I think you’re going to want to listen.”

Malik was barely listening, though, for he was watching Bakura pull the knife out of his arm and turn around to search for Ryou. He couldn’t spot Ryou anywhere. “What?” He snapped, gripping at the ground in an attempt to pull himself out from under Mariku’s foot and what felt like all of his body weight. “You’re not going to kill me, you bastard. I’ll kill you first!”

Mariku chuckled, almost calmly, but Malik could feel him twitching with excitement like he did in situations like this. In situations where he was in control.

“I see, but here’s my offer.” Mariku shifted and used the bottom of his cane to move Malik’s head to the side, making sure of eye contact. “If you let me kill you, I can assure Ryou’s safety. He’ll get out of here alive. If not, well,” Mariku shrugged. “I’m sure Bakura is going to kill every single one of us eventually. Especially Ryou.”

Malik glared, opening his mouth to reply, but it wasn’t his voice that he heard.

“Liar!” Bakura roared. “Cheat! Fucking _traitor!”_

Malik was surprised when he felt all of Mariku’s weight lift off his back, but when he looked up all he could see was Bakura charging after Mariku, and Mariku walking backwards to brace himself for an impact. With no time to think, Malik scrambled onto his feet and retrieved his sword. When he turned around, he saw Bakura and Mariku struggling for an advantage over the other. Figuring they were distracted enough, Malik turned back to find Ryou. 

He gripped his sword tightly, deciding to make sure that he wouldn’t be taken off guard again. Parts of the cave still remained hidden behind shadows, and he wondered if maybe Ryou just left. He easily could have, but it didn’t seem like something Ryou would do. Malik knew that if anyone was going to finish this, it was going to be Ryou.

Malik searched, pivoting back and forth to make sure that Bakura and Mariku were still occupied. When he looked back at them, he saw the two on the ground, rolling over, shouting and arguing and spitting in each other’s faces. It was a hard sight to watch. Especially considering their history. Malik wondered if that was going to happen to him and Ryou now. He wondered if they had grown so apart that there was no hope in healing, and they would end up going the rest of their lives hanging on to resentment just as Mariku and Bakura have.

“Malik!” Ryou called out in a whisper, waving his arms behind a statue. Malik’s head turned in the direction of the sound, and he ran to Ryou when he saw him.

That would never happen to them. Ryou wouldn’t allow it.

“Malik,” Ryou said once Malik was close enough to hear him. They were both panting, trying to catch all the air they lost in chokeholds and sprints. “I have a plan.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter! Thank you for joining me on this journey :-)

… 

Bakura managed to pin Mariku to the ground, pressing Mariku’s own cane against his throat. He grinned and managed to laugh a little. 

“You have no idea how long I’ve waited for this day,” He said, drool dripping down his chin as he panted and caught his breath. Mariku could only gasp and sputter for air. Bakura wanted to make sure he got every last word in, for the last time they fought, he was cut off. Quite literally.

“After all these years, you haven’t changed one fucking bit. You have no fucking remorse or even a thought for anyone but yourself. I would have shared that title with you, you bastard.” Bakura threw a punch, colliding his fist into Mariku’s eye. “But no. You need power. You need power just as much as I do, only you were never willing to share it.”

Bakura moved, getting ready to punch Mariku again, only the latter mustered up enough strength to throw Bakura off his body and flip their positions.

“Sharing power is foolish.” Mariku grabbed Bakura’s face, his fingers squeezing and digging into the pale skin. “Kings don’t share power, and neither do captains.” Bakura spit on him, then, perhaps an attempt to regain lost dignity.

The struggle for power between them was rooted deep. Their pride and hate had festered and grown into some mutated, unspoken energy ball of anger. Especially for Bakura. 

Not that he was thinking about it while he fought for the upper hand, but Bakura had often dwelled on the night Mariku betrayed him. It should have been expected, but to him it was not. He genuinely thought he and Mariku were close-- Almost like brothers, and maybe even a little more than that. Bakura had a craving and desire for power and control just as much as Mariku did, but he would never kill a friend for it. Which often led Bakura to another thought. Would Mariku have actually killed him? He had jumped that night. When the ship rocked, and the wave crashed, Bakura jumped. His defenses did the thinking for him, because he truly believed it was kill or be killed.

When he washed up on shore, Bakura was surprised he was alive. Sand stuck to his open wound and the scent of blood was overwhelming. The scar on his face was one thing, but blatant betrayal was another.

It was almost like a flashback, only instead of memories, the feelings and emotions Bakura felt the day after the incident all came flooding back to him while he fought Mariku. It was as if his brain needed to rationalize fighting the man, to be reminded of the reason. “If you’re going to kill me,” Bakura hissed, his teeth clenched, his body ceasing to move. There was no point anymore. Nobody was going to get what they wanted. “At least finish the job. Do it fucking right.”

Mariku’s grip on the other’s face lessened in the slightest, and he narrowed his eyes. “You didn’t deserve to survive that fall.” With the other hand, Mariku ripped Bakura’s eyepatch off his face, revealing the bumpy, jagged mess of skin that formed a scar down the side of his face. “You should have stayed in the water. That’s where you-”

“Where I what?” Bakura, flashing with a new wave of anger raised his voice and, with the strength the rage gave him, found his way to jab his hand at Mariku’s wounded thigh, taking advantage of the distraction and managing to switch their positions once again. Bakura was on top of Mariku, and he pinned the others arms down to the floor firmly. “Where I belong? Guess what, old friend.” He leaned in close, touching their foreheads together. His voice lowered into an angry, raspy whisper. “I’m still fucking here. I’m here and living every day hating your fucking guts.”

Bakura kneed Mariku in the groin, enjoying the pained moan that seemed to echo in what seemed like an empty room. Even though they were in a cavern, the space between them felt so small. It felt like they had transported into a tiny room, just big enough to fit both of them. Bakura didn’t need any other space than that. 

“You self indulgent, ass-kissing, shit-eating freak.” Each insult was spat with more solace than the last. His language was slow, calculated, and Bakura wanted it to last as long as possible. It seemed Mariku had given up, but Bakura was just getting started. “You owe me so much, you know that? All I did for you was help. All I did was pick you up, but you know what you did?” Bakura released one of Mariku’s wrists, pressing a thumb to the left side of Mariku’s forehead just above the eyebrow, dragging it down the rest of his face with firm pressure. “You tried to kill me. Tried to cut me off.”

“Bakura-”

“No!” Bakura placed his hand over Mariku’s mouth, securing his head in place when he saw it turn to the left. As if Mariku was going to pay attention to something else. Not now. “I should have just killed you the moment I set foot on your ship.” He frowned when Mariku started to struggle again, forming incoherent words behind his hand. “You’re going to fucking listen to me now. You don’t have-”

Mariku, with what felt like the last of his energy, wrenched his face away and managed to shove Bakura back. “Bakura! The statues!”

Confused for a moment, Bakura looked behind himself, but what he saw made him forget all about his hatred for Mariku. His eyes transfixed on Ryou, and he felt his body flash hot again. Ryou should have been dead by now. Bakura should have beat Mariku to all of the glory, but that scrawny brat got in the way. Both of them did. 

He hated the way Ryou thought about Malik. It reminded Bakura too much of himself early on, the way he wanted to believe Mariku meant well in some strange kind of way, but it wasn’t the truth. It bothered Bakura that Ryou never let himself hate. He came close, but it wasn’t real. 

On top of all that, Ryou ruined years of hard work. Months of planning, weeks of manipulation- All gone to waste. If anyone needed to die today, it was Ryou.

However, in that moment of spotting Ryou, Bakura saw a chain reaction of events. He saw Ryou and Malik running to the exit, and he saw dust. He heard loud rumblings, the sound of rocks falling. The ground started to shake as the huge stone statues encircling the cavern began to fall on top of one another in a domino effect. The flames from the torches began to glow behind a curtain of dirt and rubble. Bakura’s response was delayed, partially from anger, partially from shock. Everything that could have gone wrong on this long awaited day had done just that; Gone wrong.

“That fucking-” Bakura quickly got off of Mariku and ran for the exit where Ryou and Malik were headed. “Where will you go?!” Bakura shouted, nearly straining his voice to make sure the two could hear him over the loud, overwhelming crumbling and falling. As he gained on Ryou and Malik, close enough that he might have been able to leap forward and tackle one of them, a large rock fell from above, landing right in front of Bakura, ceasing his sprint. His boots scraped along the rock beneath him as friction caused him to slide, his hands waving away and lungs coughing out the dust that filled the air in front of him. Then, having been triggered by the falling stone, the statue near the exit- the only exit- wobbled.

Bakura held his breath as he watched it begin to tip over. He could still see Malik and Ryou running if he peeked over the stone that obstructed his path. Stepping back, Bakura decided to brace himself for the inevitable impact that would come with the statue’s downfall.

He stood, squinting as the rock crumbled before him. He covered his eyes when more debris and dust swarmed the air. It was quiet once the rocks settled into place, and the flames from the torches had been snuffed out, smothered by the thickened, dirty air. When Bakura opened his eyes, the sunlight from the hole at the top of the cavern shown on the table, just as it had before, only this time that was not the subject of Bakura’s attention. The exit was blocked. Large, heavy blocks of stone from the ancient statues littered not only the entrance/exit of the cave, but all around them, making the cavern look a little smaller than it had when he entered. 

“Fuck,” He mumbled to himself. Bakura turned around, gaze landing on Mariku. He was standing now and rubbing his thigh, looking just as pissed and confused as Bakura.

“We have to get out of here.”

…

Ryou ran as fast as he ever had in his life. He didn’t even realize that he’d surpassed Malik in the midst of chaos for he was only focused on the daylight he could see at the end of the long tunnel. 

“Ryou!” Malik called out, “Ryou! Wait up!”

Ryou stopped, turning around and expecting to see Malik right there, only he didn’t. Malik appeared a few seconds after, catching up to Ryou. Once he did, the two continued to run, wishing to be free of the cave and all the tension and fear within it.

Ryou glanced over his shoulder, frowning. They hadn’t just killed two people, had they? Did Bakura get crushed? Will Mariku and Bakura be able to get out? 

Of course, Ryou knew that both he and Malik had been used in some way, and perhaps he shouldn’t care about the two captains’ well-being that much, but that wasn’t the kind of person Ryou was. He cared. Unlike Bakura, Ryou didn’t think there was anything wrong with that. His eyes shifted from the view ahead to Malik. He felt, among all of the excitement, fear, and adrenaline, embarrassed and guilty. Ryou had been controlled like a puppet on a string, led down a long, bottomless pit of hatred. The only problem with Bakura’s plan was Ryou didn’t hate Malik. He never did. How could he? The guilt Ryou felt came from a place of empathy. In a way, he ended up doing the exact same thing Malik had done to him: let his pride get to his head, and abandoned a friend in time of need.

Malik had asked Ryou to come back multiple times. While he might not have worded things as well as he could have, Ryou knew what it all meant. Malik wanted his friend back just as much as Ryou did. The concept of having power over someone appealed to Ryou so much, but looking back on it, even while he was running away from danger, he thought it silly.

Bakura and Mariku; Ryou didn’t know much about them or their relationship other than what Bakura had told him. There was one thing Ryou could tell though, even back when they had first interacted on the ship to come up with this ‘game’: If Bakura and Mariku really hated each other, one of them would be dead by now. Perhaps they had their issues, they had developed a disliking for the other’s presence, but Ryou was certain there was no _true_ hate there. They were both capable of murder, seeing as they were both very willing to kill off, in their eyes, lesser individuals, so why had they not turned these capabilities on each other? As Ryou ran further and further away from them, headed for the daylight, he smiled. 

After what seemed like the longest run of his life, Ryou stopped a few feet away from the mouth of the cave, leaning on a tree to catch his breath. Malik did the same. They panted, staring at the ground in disbelief. Neither of them should have been alive, yet here they were.

“Malik.” Ryou’s eyes switched their gaze from the ground to Malik. He laughed as best he could with his lungs still attempting to recover from the sprint. “You’re so good at sword-fighting.”

Malik looked back at Ryou, unable to contain his own laughter. The giddy feeling in his chest was probably a nervous reaction, but he decided that it felt the same as it always had when being with Ryou. It _almost_ felt like nothing had ever happened between them. “You think? You totally kicked ass when you broke that bottle.” He coughed. “What was in that anyway?”

Still catching his breath, Ryou held up his bandaged hand. “Blood.” He rolled his eyes. “I’ll explain later.” Looking over his shoulder, Ryou recognized the mouth of the cave as the last thing he remembered before waking up inside of it. Interesting how things seem to have concluded. Ryou frowned then. “Um, Malik? Did we… You don’t think they’re dead, do you?”

When Ryou looked at Malik again, he could tell he thought the same thing. Malik mirrored his frown, biting his lip. “I’m sure they’ll figure it out.” His brow furrowed at the thought of it. Frankly, he didn’t want to kill Mariku. Bakura, maybe, but Mariku was different. “The statues were around the outskirts of the room. If they work together, they’ll be able to get out through the top.” Malik cracked a small smile then, for imagining the two working together was laughable considering the entire reason why they were all in this situation was built on the fact that Bakura hated Mariku’s guts and vice versa. Maybe they could, but Malik didn’t see it as likely. Regardless, the only thing he was really worried about at the moment was Ryou’s safety. “I don’t really want to be here if they do, though.”

Ryou nodded in agreement, pushing himself off the tree despite wanting to slide down and take a seat. “Yeah. Let’s find somewhere far away to rest, and we’ll plan it from there.” Without hesitation, Ryou started to run again. He would be proud of himself later, but for now he knew it best to get as far away from this cave as fast as possible.

“Ryou, wait.” Malik kept with Ryou’s pace, scanning the area in front of them and glancing left and right. “Be careful. Everyone is looking for you. Keep an eye out.”

With a nod, Ryou kept his eyes open for any other familiar faces, though he wasn’t exactly thinking about where he was going. Nor was Malik for that matter. The size of the island and the depth of the forest never crossed their minds. They performed instinctually, running away from danger when they weren’t in a place to fight back. Eventually, they began to slow their pace, but neither of them stopped. Coincidentally, they were both thinking. 

Thinking about each other.

Ryou turned around, shielding his eyes from the sun as he looked out over the land they had trekked over. He didn’t know how far they went, but it felt long. They’d stopped running a little while ago and settled for a brisk walk. Neither said a word to each other, and Ryou felt that maybe now it would be okay. “Do you think we’re far? The sun went down quite a bit. How long have we been moving?”

Malik shrugged. He gently grabbed a hold of Ryou’s arm and pulled him over to a group of rocks. A small stream ran through the cracks of the rocks, flowing through a narrow passage in the ground. Malik sat them down next to it, letting out a long, heavy sigh. “Don’t know. We should drink some water, though.”

Ryou followed Malik’s example and cupped his hands in the water to drink it. It felt good to swallow something cool to contrast the heat and sweat drenching his body. When he felt hydrated, Ryou leaned back against the rocks, closing his eyes as he allowed his body to rest. After the adrenaline faded away, and his sense of security returned, Ryou’s entire body felt heavy. Running again would not be an option, but he didn’t think that would be necessary for now. He opened his eyes when he felt Malik’s shoulder brush against his own.

“Sorry I was a jerk,” Malik murmured, looking up at the clouds passing in the sky. “I don’t even feel right saying that. It isn’t going to fix anything, I know. I just don’t know how to make it better. I don’t-”

Ryou placed a hand on Malik’s shoulder, cutting him off. “Malik, you don’t need to say anything. I shouldn’t have acted so..” He paused, mulling over their encounters and his own reactions. Ryou frowned. “I shouldn’t have acted like everything was fine. From the very beginning I kept things from you, and I think both of us just sort of played into the fantasy that we were more than…” 

Ryou trailed off, but Malik knew what he meant.

“That we were more than what we’re worth?” Malik looked at Ryou, and they exchanged similar forced smiles. Malik couldn’t help but chuckle when he thought about it. That part was very true. He knew it true for himself, at least. Mariku had been about the only person in his life that told him he was capable of great things. That is, the only other person beside Ryou. It felt different having heard it from someone else. Sad to say, but it felt _real_ hearing it from someone besides his best friend.  
“I don’t think we should see it that way, though.” Malik shifted so that he was facing Ryou, looking over his sweaty, dirty face with admiration. Ryou’s hair was stuck to his cheek, and beads of sweat dripped off his jawline. “I think, if anything, this was our chance to show that we _are_ capable of being brave, strong, and I guess even scared. It wasn’t a fantasy, Ryou.” Malik smiled, his grin lopsided and tired. “It was real life. And I think we both awakened a piece of ourselves that we didn’t know existed.”

Ryou laughed, perhaps because it was rather hard to believe that everything that happened was real. But Malik was right. It happened. _All_ of it happened, and now they were left to do with it what they wanted. “Yeah. I suppose that’s true.” The dampness on his neck was too much then, and Ryou pulled his hair back, wishing he had something to tie it with, but came up short with any makeshift ideas.

Malik took notice of the bandage on his hand, and pointed to it.  
“So, are you going to explain this to me? In fact, do you have any idea what all of this was about?”

Ryou looked at his hand as if he were surprised to see a bandage there. He had forgotten all about it, but a brief glimpse of Bakura’s enraged face flashed in his mind, causing the hair on the back of his neck to rise. He’d never forget that look-- The pure look of hatred. Bakura might not have hated Mariku, but Ryou was damn sure he was top of Bakura’s hate list now. “Well…” He began, looking guilty. It was very naive of him to think Bakura would keep all his promises, and it was embarrassing to have to talk about it, but Ryou knew that he owed Malik at least an explanation.

“I made a blood pact. Kind of. But I guess I sort of broke it.” 

Malik blinked. “What?”

Ryou smiled at him and pat his leg twice. “It’s a very long story. I’ll tell you on the way.” He stood up, holding a hand out to help Malik get back on his feet.

“Wait-Where are we going?”

“We’re taking a rowboat. I decided that while we were running here. It’ll be easy to sneak one. And, I mean, you still have your map, right?” Ryou smiled. They were face to face now, and Ryou still held on to Malik’s hand, holding it firmly.

“What do you say, Malik? Are you up for a little adventure?”

…

Ryou and Malik rowed away from the strange island, following the map Malik had kept in his pocket. They never really admitted it, but both Ryou and Malik enjoyed, to some degree, being able to experience the thrill of a real pirate rivalry.

Though, there were two men that would be sure it wouldn’t be their last.

As Ryou and Malik rowed away, a pale, skinny hand decorated with bracelets and rings clawed at rock. Bakura hoisted himself up out of the hole and held out a hand for Mariku to follow. In order to fit through the hole in the cave ceiling, both men had to discard their captain hats and coats quite begrudgingly. It hadn’t been easy, and it took them as long as it took Malik and Ryou to leave, but Bakura and Mariku managed to talk out a plan. They stacked rocks and used them as crooked, uneven stairs, stacking the broken pieces of statue just high enough to be able to jump and grasp the rock to escape. Bakura grunted as he pulled Mariku’s body weight, helping him wriggle out of the hole just as he had.

The two turned toward the sunset, squinting. The wind blew their hair back, for there were no more hats to hold it down. Bakura’s eyepatch remained discarded and left in the useless cave of statue rubble. The top of the cave was at the top of the waterfall, and Bakura saw that they could practically see the entire island from this vantage point. Mariku tapped his shoulder, pointing out into the distance to small figures in the water. “There they are,” He murmured, feeling as though if it was said any louder, the far away figures might have heard him. 

Bakura took in a deep breath, slowly letting the air out his nose. He pulled out a map from his back pocket and handed it to Mariku. “We have the same map. They won’t get far.”

Mariku snorted. “I hope not. It took me years to find you. I’m not taking years to find a couple of brats.”

Bakura stared out at the horizon another moment longer. He took in the colors of the sky, the placement of the clouds, and the warmth the sea gave the breeze. It was all perfect. It should have been the perfect moment to claim life eternal, to have riches beyond what any man had ever possessed, but he didn’t. The day wasn’t perfect, the riches weren’t his, and, as Bakura’s eyes narrowed on the figures in the distance, he mentally painted a big red target on Malik and Ryou’s heads. They did this, and they weren’t going to get away with it.

“Come on,” He said, tearing his eyes away from the scenery. “Our rivalry won’t end as long as they’re alive.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just so u know.... stay tuned for a possible sequel...... I have many ends to tie with out boys, especially Bakura and Mariku... ;)

**Author's Note:**

> Also I will be updating this fic weekly since it's already made and edited. How fun!


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